The Volition
by starkidmoonshoes
Summary: Draco Malfoy needed a light in his 6th year at Hogwarts, the year everything went wrong for him. And whether he liked it or not, he needed the power of one witch to be his saving grace. Her name was Hermione Granger, and this is their story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So I've had this idea quite locked up for sometime and I've been so busy lately that I haven't gotten a chance to go back and edit and what not. But now it's FINALLY HERE!**

**Alright this chapter takes place just after the Quidditch match in their 6th year when Lavender first kissed Ron and Hermione saw it. At the time she was in love (or what she thinks is love) with him and she couldn't stand the fact that he practically ignored all her advances. Now here she is crying on the staircase and well...you know the rest.**

**You'll find that I somewhat rush through the scenes we already know about, but that's only because I want to emphasize more of Draco and Hermione's story than the plot which we already know about. **

**AND: I've given you guys a special SONG for each chapter to listen to while you read. I don't know about you but I never read a fanfic without music in the background. **

**SOO...I hope you enjoy and remember: PLEASE REVIEW**

**Song of the Chapter: Demons by Imagine Dragons**

Hermione Granger sat on the stone steps just a few portraits away from Gryffindor Tower. She leaned into the wall and stared sadly out the window into the night, the moon's light cascading into the dark Forbidden Forest.

She heard a portrait open, most likely the Gryffindor's, letting the sound of her cheering classmates echo through the halls. They kept chanting his name. And she could bet they were hoisting him over their shoulders and getting drunk on his victory.

The portrait door closed, but it didn't stop the tears from falling onto her jeans. As a way of distracting her, she took out her wand and muttered, "_Avis_."

A stream emitted from her wand, along with a loud shot, resulting from the charm. Several small birds had appeared in front of her eyes and flew about happily amongst themselves. She brought her knees up to her face and held them tightly, wiping her remaining tears on her jeans.

_Stupid Ronald,_ she thought, _why can't you ever notice me?_

Just then, she felt someone approach her from behind, and into the moon light was her dear friend, Harry Potter. He sat next to her as she shuffled close to him, letting his arm drape over her shoulder.

Harry always had this protective aura around him. Every time she needed to talk to someone, Harry would always be there as a shoulder to cry on. Ron was never like that, which made her wonder why she ever really liked him. But Harry will always be a brother to her.

After what felt like a peaceful moment, of course, Ronald and his newfound toy, Lavender Brown, decided to make an appearance. She didn't want to listen to him talk. She didn't want to see his face anywhere near her.

She stood and spat at the redhead, "Oppugno."

The small birds flew violently toward him, chasing him away. This only wanted to make her cry more. She fell back against Harry, who held her tightly and let his best friend cry into his chest.

The two stayed like this for a few minutes, Hermione trying to let her frustration out through her tears. Before they knew it, it was time to go back to the common room. They weren't sure if Ron had returned yet, but they took the risk of seeing if he was.

In the common room, all they saw were other couples kissing frantically all over the place. Harry stood awkwardly next to her as Hermione's simply scanned the room for some place to sit. "Well, I think I'm going to bed now," _Trust Harry to break the awkward tension_, "Will you be alright, Mione?" he asked caringly.

"I think so. Thank you, Harry," she said, giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek, "You're always there for me."

"And I always will be. Good night, Mione."

She watched Harry's retreating form as he walked up the stairs, hoping not to bump into another snogging couple. She thought about going to bed, but decided against facing the entire school the next day with puffy eyes.

She stood awkwardly surrounded by the other students, hoping that one of the couples would have the decency to make room for her somewhere. But alas, none of them even noticed her presence.

Hermione looked back towards the closed portrait door, deciding whether it would be worth the risk. Getting caught by Filch would not do her reputation any good, but staying here would only mean herself being alone for a snogging session.

With one more look around, she pulled the portrait door open and tiptoed past the sleeping Fat Lady. The steps would be far too risky, especially if Mrs. Norris were to find her. She walked quietly around the castle, hoping to not run into anyone.

Down the hall, she could see the steps to the Astronomy Tower illuminated by the moonlight above. The balcony was always open to let fresh air in, and it would be better than going out on the grounds.

She climbed the stairs noiselessly until she felt the slight breeze of the night. The Astronomy Tower was such a beautiful place, one of her favorites next to the library. The cool air touched her damp cheeks, chilling her slightly, but enough to calm her nerves. Her hands grasped the railing firmly, her eyes traveling across the night sky.

The stars were just so perfect at Hogwarts. They dusted the night sky and surrounded the pristine full moon, bringing a small smile to her face. Then, a shooting star appeared out of the dark.

It brought back memories of her childhood, how her Dad would always tell her to make a wish.

_What am I talking about?,_ she thought,_ I'm too old to believe in that rubbish...But then again...I think I deserve it right now._

She closed her eyes and gripped the railing tightly. The first thought that came to mind was Ron, and having him here would mean everything. But...maybe that's just it. He didn't deserve her. Especially after everything she's been through with him.

She hadn't noticed how long she had her eyes closed, but when she opened them, she found a pale hand also gripping the railing. She looked up, her eyes meeting with one Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" she asked nervously, letting go of the railing.

"I've been here. The question is what are you doing here, and why were you closing your eyes? You weren't going to jump, were you?" he asked, surprisingly concerned.

"Wha- No! I just came here for some fresh air."

"Oh, well good. People would've thought that I pushed you or something..." he mumbled.

She scoffed and took in his appearance. His clothes were wrinkled, his white collared shirt pulled out from his trousers and Slytherin tie hanging loosely around his neck. "My, aren't you a gentleman?" she replied sarcastically, leaning against the railing again.

"You better get out of here. It's after hours, and you wouldn't want your precious reputation to be ruined with a detention, would you?" he said, also leaning against the railing.

"No, I'm not going back there," she said softly, trying to convince herself more than Malfoy.

"Trouble in paradise? What has the Weasel done now?"

"Ugh, what hasn't he d- wait, how'd you know it was about Ron?" she asked.

He smirked, not meeting her questioning gaze. "When isn't it about Weasely? You always seem to be crying about him."

_Bloody hell, even Malfoy noticed that. _"It's...nothing," she stated dejectedly, "Since when do you care, anyway?"

"I don't," he said nastily, "You should just be more discreet when picking places to bawl your eyes out."

She didn't care to listen to his comment. She kept her eyes glued to her feet, not wanting to meet his menacing glare which she suspected he had. But in fact, he wasn't glaring at all. He stared plainly at her, not kindly nor angrily. Silence filled the room, it wasn't uncomfortable, but in fact peaceful. Malfoy hadn't said a word, which was the only thing that arose her suspicion.

Hermione lifted her head, and found soft, grey eyes. The moonlight half lit his face, making his hair and skin paler than ever. He had dark circles under his eyes and his mouth wasn't curved into a smirk or a grimace.

It was such a peaceful sight to hold.

Suddenly, he broke their intense stares and moved away from the balcony. He had his hands in his pockets and stood looking at the stack of books and various telescopes. She looked back at him with the same nothingness he just displayed.

Malfoy was suspiciously quiet this year. Other than his row with Harry on the train in the beginning of the year and when they all confronted him and his Mother at Diagon Alley, he hadn't said much to them. Ron, Harry, and herself would pass by him in the hallway, but he gave them no sign of trouble this year.

Harry suggested that he had become a Deatheater over the summer, but Hermione was still skeptical. She knew that his Father was also a Deatheater, and that maybe he pulled Malfoy into the whole thing. It wasn't his fault that he was like...this. Malfoy was raised to believe that purebloods were better than muggleborns, and she guessed she couldn't really blame him for that.

It wasn't like she liked him or anything, though. She simply just thought a lot about it, more than she would like to admit. Draco Malfoy was just so complicated, yet she felt like she understood him. And that maybe they could've been friends if it weren't for his prejudices. He was, in fact, second in their class, and to her. She smirked at the thought.

She hadn't always agreed with the way Harry and Ron had acted towards him either. They shouldn't stoop to his fake level of cruelness, it was nothing but a mask. Which made him all the more mysterious.

Malfoy turned around slowly and saw her staring at him in a peculiar way. "See something you like, Granger?" he asked with a smirk.

"Sorry," she said blushing furiously, "Just thinking."

"Oh, about me? Yes, I know. I can be quite distracting," he said, hoping to get a rise out of her. She slowly shook her head with a grimace and directed her gaze back at the night sky.

"Try not to jump, Granger. Although, I bet not many people would miss you," he said sourly, but she was again ignoring him.

"Granger, you've got to say something back!" he said from behind her, only receiving a shake of the head.

She heard a feint groan of disappointment as he appeared again next to her, leaning against the stone wall next to them. "It's no fun when you've got nothing to say. I'm trying my hardest here!"

"I've got better things to do than argue with you, right now," she stated sullenly.

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"He's snogging Lavender Brown." He clicked his tongue at the blatant statement and asked, "And that's what's got you all riled up? Granger, if he's that oblivious to you, why do you still like him? Merlin knows even you deserve a little better than a Weasley."

"Ha, that was almost a compliment," she said with a sudden smile.

He smirked back at her, crossed his arms, and stalked slowly up to her. "Besides, I'm the only person you're supposed to hate," he stated confidently. This seemed to get her attention away from the railing as she too gazed into his eyes.

She knew that he was only trying to get her to say something insulting, and instinct told her to as well, but something about those eyes told her to say something she never thought she could.

"No, I don't think I hate you, Malfoy."

Then his expression changed. What was once a confident smirk, was now a look of utter confusion. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I said, I don't hate you."

This seemed to not only confuse him, but to change the entire aura that had been so carefully set in the room. He uncrossed his arms and had a stern expression on his face.

"You don't mean that," he said, seething.

"Yes, I d-"

"Then you don't know what you're saying!" he yelled, scaring her a little.

"What makes you think that?"

"I've done nothing that could make you hate me any less. You're a mudblood and I'm the pureblood. The boundary has been set, why I'm still speaking to you is beyond me," he spat menacingly.

"Think what you want, Malfoy, but I think I know you better than anyone in this entire school. You're just misunderstood."

"You don't know anything about me," he seethed. She could feel a dark truth come out of that sentence, but pushed it aside and continued.

"In fact, I do. You're a rich, spoiled pureblood boy who would do anything to make his parents proud. Even if that meant punishing everyone they considered below them with cruel words and hate. They taught you that, Malfoy. They taught you the meaning of hate and associated with this blood prejudice crap. But deep down, I know you don't believe it. You know it's wrong, yet you do it anyway because it makes your Father proud. That's why I don't hate you, Malfoy, because I don't think you deserve that. And you know what makes this all the worse? I think that you don't hate me either," she spat.

He stared darkly at her as she did nothing but smirk proudly at what she just said. She knew she was right because she was an excellent judge of character. He breathed through his nose furiously, his hands clenched into fists firmly at his sides. She's never seen him this mad before, but she hid her surprise well.

"Ha, you know I'm ri-!" she started, but was interrupted by his firm hands grabbing onto her head and pulling her towards him, crushing his lips onto hers furiously. He pushed his lips against hers, his tongue shooting out to pry her lips apart and seek entrance. She desperately tried to push him away, but he pushed her back against the cold stone and continued to devour her mouth.

She tried biting his tongue but he was quick enough to continue without breaking the kiss. His eyes were closed but hers were wide open and completely panicked. Hermione reached into her jacket for her wand but was stopped by his hand gripping it tight and holding it firmly against the wall. His other hand went to grab her other and pinned both of them firmly away from them.

Hermione had never felt so vulnerable and powerless. She wanted control. She wanted to kick him away. She could try screaming if his tongue wasn't down her throat!

And then, he released her hands and pried his mouth away from her. He stumbled back a few steps, himself and Hermione quite breathless. She stood against the wall completely stunned before reality came crashing down on her.

_Draco Malfoy just kissed her. Brutally._

She took a quick two steps forward and slapped him hard across the face, the sound echoing through the large room. He stumbled again and held a hand up to his reddening cheek. Malfoy glared at her before she stomped away from him and down the spiraling staircase.

* * *

Draco stood at the top of the Astronomy Tower, still sore from her slap and still breathless from that kiss.

He put his hands in his pockets and mumbled aloud, "Now you know everything about me."

**~Please Review~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Song of the Chapter: Stop and Stare by OneRepublic**

The next few days had gone painfully slow for Hermione. It felt as though everywhere she turned, Ron and Lavender would be all over each other, and in such a public setting!

Hermione constantly reminded herself that he wasn't worth it. The heartache. Ron was her best friend, and to him, that's all they'd ever be. But now there was another boy who she felt she should be more angry with.

That night, all she wanted to do was make the point that she knew all there was to know about Malfoy and that he can't hide behind this wall. And maybe that was why he was so angry when he kissed her. But why kiss her in the first place? That question never seemed to slip her mind, and the thought of his lips on hers made her spine tingle in a bad way.

As she sat in the Great Hall for breakfast, reading her book and eating her morning toast, Draco Malfoy waltzed into the room. You could notice that golden white hair from miles away. He made his way towards his table, meandering around a group of girls and sitting the farthest from the others at his table.

Which just so happened to be right across from her, two tables away.

"Mione, what are you staring at?" Harry asked next to her. She was surprised he even noticed her, especially with all the attention Ginny was getting from the other side of the table by her boyfriend, Dean Thomas.

"Nothing," Hermione lied, shaking her head and looking back at her book.

"A Hogsmeade weekend is coming up soon. Just wondering what you wanted to do. Ron said he'll be out with...well you know." Hermione did know, and she did not care. She simply refused to care.

"Oh, um, maybe we could go to the Broomsticks, I guess. Although, that's all we really do, don't you think?" she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess your right."

Just then, Ginny stood from her seat and walked up to them. "Hey guys! Dean and I are going to the Broomsticks this weekend, care to join us?"

"No," Harry grumbled.

"He means, there's an exam coming up and I promised Harry we'd study at the library," Hermione lied.

Ginny didn't do a good job of hiding her disappointment, "Oh, I understand," and left. Hermione closed her book and smacked Harry's arm with it.

"Ow! What was that for?" Harry whined, rubbing his arm.

"For being rude! Why can't you just tell her you like her?"

"She's my best friend's sister. What am I supposed to do?"

"But that doesn't give you the right t-" Hermione started, but then noticed something two tables away. A Great Grey owl flew gracefully over their heads and landed directly in front of Malfoy. It's wings opened proudly, extending a few feet from where it stood.

"Mione, you alright? It's just an owl," Harry stated.

"Right, sorry. Just thinking," she said listlessly as she watched Malfoy take the letter from the beak of the bird and read it. After a few moments, Malfoy ripped up the letter, crumpled it in his hands, and walked away in anger, shoving a few innocent First years to the side.

"I'd give anything to know what that letter said. It could've been important..." Harry mumbled. She knew exactly what he was referring to. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, "Why are you so stuck on the thought that Malfoy's a Deatheater?"

"His Father was one, so it's in the family. And he's up to something, I know it," he stated suspiciously.

Hermione simply ignored him and continued with her reading. But her reading wasn't enough to distract her from the thought of Malfoy working for Voldemort.

After a few long moments of thinking and half-listening to Harry's theories on Voldemort's plans, the two left for class.

* * *

_Draco,_

_You haven't made any progress in your mission. Don't make him regret giving you this opportunity. _

_L _

Draco ripped the letter in half and crumpled it in his hands. His Father was pressuring him enough with this blasted assignment, and everyday it made him go a little more insane.

He pushed aside others as he exited the Great Hall and walked angrily down the hall. He glared menacingly at everyone in his way, shoving them aside as he passed. Making his way around a corner, he spotted Weasley and his whore of a girlfriend snogging roughly on a bench. This must drive Granger crazy seeing her all over him.

But he didn't care. He wasn't going to see her again and he was determined to stay away from her as much as possible. That curious little Gryffindor would have a lot of questions for him and he wasn't prepared to answer any of them.

Malfoy found an unoccupied window at the end of the hall and stretched out on the window sill. He stared at the wall across from him and waited. People passing in the hallway didn't spare him a single passing glance. He had a sort of ambience around him, where people knew not to bother him, and in turn, he wouldn't bother them.

_But I guess today isn't one of those days_, he thought as two people rounded the corner and walked down the hall towards his window. He grumbled inwardly, hoping they wouldn't say anything.

Potter's been giving him weird looks the past few weeks, like he doesn't trust him. Which was normal, he supposed. But Malfoy hadn't spoken much to any of them, not wanting to start anything he couldn't stop.

It was the girl next to him that got most of his attention. She didn't look as sad as she was the other night, but it wasn't her normal uptight, prissy mood. She held her book bag firmly on her arm and had a stern expression, which meant she must have seen Weasley.

_At least, she's doing a good job of pulling herself together,_ he thought. Just then, his gaze collided with her own, causing a slight falter in her step. She paused for a moment but continued strolling through the hall. Though her feet moved in pace with Potter, her eyes stayed completely connected with his. And Malfoy held his gaze firmly, determined to get her to look away first.

Granger and Potter stopped at the corner and waited for something, and with Potter's back to him, he could continue looking at her directly.

It wasn't a glare or a gaze, but only a blank stare, with no meaning behind it. Draco tried his best to stare icily, as he normally did, but something within him told him to stop. His scowl softened and then, he returned her blank stare.

She moved to lean against the wall with her arms across, and her empty eyes suddenly became the curious one he had grown quite fond of.

_Wait, no. You're not fond of them. They're just her normal eyes. That's all._

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she could possibly be thinking of. Then, she gave him a small smirk and turned her attention back to Potter. It was like he had just been in a mind trance, and he had just been snapped out of it. _What was she playing at?,_ he wondered.

Weasley showed up just a few minutes later and followed them around the corner, and to their next class.

So maybe Granger did mean something to him (which he would never admit was an understatement). She was right when she said he didn't hate her anymore. He just couldn't. There was something about her that intrigued him beyond reason. When he thought about her, it was never the blood he thought about, but the heart behind it.

That's why he kissed her, because believe it or not, Draco Malfoy has a heart.

* * *

Hermione looked down the rest of the way to class and all throughout that as well. It was just after her intense stare that she realized maybe the reason he kissed her, was because he cared.

Maybe she _had_ missed something when she judged him the other night. Not only that he didn't hate her, but maybe it was more than that. Should she have been so quick to judge?

Usually she was so good at knowing someone, but Malfoy was different. Malfoy was the most complex and mysterious person she had ever met, and she couldn't believe it took her so long to see that.

All she knew was that she had to see him again. She needed answers. Because the thing with complex situations was that...

She always had to solve them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Song of the Chapter: Ribs by Lorde**

Draco exited the Room of Requirement into the dark, abandoned hallways. He looked around to make sure no one had seen him and quietly made his way down the hall.

It was his mission to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, but it was too bloody hard to repair. He had received instructions in the beginning of the school year from Borgin, who also had a Cabinet at his shop. If Draco could fix this one at school, the rest of the Deatheaters could get past the wards and infiltrate Hogwarts.

And that was only the first half of his mission.

He chose not to think much about the second half.

It was late night so no one was up, not even the prefects. Filch and Mrs. Norris were nowhere to be seen, so Draco just had to worry about the ghosts still lurking around the castle at this hour. He cautiously made his way through the halls, careful of waking up any sleeping portraits. He found the spiraling staircase at the end of the hall and ascended.

The Astronomy Tower was his place to be alone. A place where he could keep to his thoughts and not think about all the obligations he had on his mind. There really was no explaining of what he did in the tower. Sometimes he's just lean over the railing and think of how far he must be from the ground. Sometimes he'd look up at the stars and hope to see his own constellation, what he was named after.

And then there were the times where he thought about the people around him, and the lives they'd lead. The pathetic hopes and dreams that are sometimes so impossible, so unreachable, that it made him wonder why they even thought of them in the first place.

He reached the top of the staircase and cast away his robe and vest on the chair in the corner of the room.

"Hey," he suddenly heard someone say, "Watch where you throw things." He spun around and whipped out his wand, prepared to throw a hex. But he turned to find Granger, standing up with his robe and vest in her hands.

"What are you doing here, Granger?" he said nastily, still holding his wand.

"I thought you'd be here. And I just wanted to ask you something," she said innocently. He lowered his wand, and placed it back in his pocket. "You shouldn't have come," he responded, turning away from her and towards the balcony.

"Why'd you kiss me?" she demanded.

"Take it as a compliment, Granger, nothing more."

She walked up to him until she was a few feet behind him. "I don't believe that," she stated. He didn't turn around. She took a few steps forward until she was next to him, and put a hand on the railing. "I haven't told Harry and Ron, and I don't plan on telling them anytime soon."

Still nothing.

"And if that was the way of telling me you...like me, than-"

"Let's get something straight here, Granger," he interrupted with a hard glance, "I don't like you, and I will never like you. You're nothing to me but a stubborn Gryffindor who thinks she knows absolutely everything. You annoy me beyond belief and you're too bloody smart for your own good. That's what you are. Nothing. More."

Then it became her turn to be silent. He gripped the railing tightly and looked away. He doesn't need her to criticize everything he does. All he had to do was insult her in everyway possible, then she could just go back to hating him like everyone else in the universe.

"You can leave now," he ordered.

"No," she murmured, "Not without a true answer."

He pushed himself away from the railing and moved away from the balcony, and from her. She continued, "You don't have to hide from me, Malfoy. I'm not like them. I don't hate you. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because it's not that simple!" he exclaimed, "You're supposed to hate me, Granger! We're supposed to be enemies."

"We're not _supposed_ to do anything."

"Maybe you don't but, I do. I have a lot to lose if I start...fraternizing with a mudblood."

"Like what? Your precious dignity? Respect from society? None of that matters if you can't be true to what you believe!"

Draco shoved his hands into his pockets and breathed in deeply through his nostrils. He looked back at Granger, her hands on her hips in a demanding pose. He sauntered towards her slowly until he was inches away from her.

"Okay, Granger. Let's say that you were right. That maybe I don't believe in blood prejudice. Now, do tell me how I would go about freeing myself from it all? Go ahead, tell me your brilliant plan of getting rid of _my_ obligations." She opened her mouth to retort, but closed it expectedly. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought and her eyes darted around in confusion.

"Not so simple, is it?" he said triumphantly, crossing his arms, "My future's already been planned by my family. I hate mudbloods for the rest of my life, I end up marrying some rich, spoiled, pureblood heiress, she pops out some snotty brats, they live happily ever after and I'm just another apple on the tree."

"That sounds...horrible," she said breathlessly.

"Compliments to the rest of the Malfoys who have led the same lives from generation to generation. Don't waste your time, Granger, don't try to figure something out that can't be changed." He moved away from her and back to the balcony, making space between them. But as expected, she followed him as well.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so analytical," she mumbled.

"Whatever, Granger. You couldn't help it if you tried."

"But you have thought about it, right?"

"More than you know." They stayed silent for a few moments, leaning against the balcony railing. Both pairs of eyes looked up at the stars above them.

"Draco," she seemed to whisper.

"What?" he responded, immediately realizing she had called him by his first name.

"Draco, the constellation. It's up their," she pointed out, using her finger to trace it out, "I remembered it from a book I read."

"I like when you say my name," he accidentally whispered. _Oh Merlin, did I say that out loud?_ She blushed a little and hid it with a small smile, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"To be honest, I-" she started, "Never mind."

"Tell me," he coaxed.

"No, it's embarrassing."

"Oh well now you_ have_ to tell me," he repeated, leaning his back casually against the bar and crossing his arms.

"I...I've always liked your name. It's so unique, certainly better than my name."

"I've never met another Hermione, therefore it is unique. And when someone says it, I'll always know exactly who they're talking about." It was then he realized he might of actually said something to make her feel better about herself, and had brought a smile to her face. He quite liked that smile.

"Yeah, I guess your right," she agreed. Their eyes connected once more, pure grey meeting a chocolate brown. And again, he realized there was one more thing to like about her.

"I better go, it's getting late," she added, pulling away and taking small steps to the staircase.

"You can call me Draco if you want," he added suddenly. She turned around to face him, "I'd like that," before turning back to the stairs and descending with dainty footsteps.

_Good night...Hermione._

* * *

The next day, Harry and Hermione went to the library, even if it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione still didn't speak to Ron, unless she was with Harry and if she did, it would be small things like, "No Ron, I will not write your essay for you." And Harry simply refused to see Ginny with Dean at the Three Broomsticks. So their only choice would be to stay in Hogwarts, or risk seeing the one they cared for canoodling with another.

They made their way over to a table they had specifically declared theirs, one far off back so no one bothered sitting at because it practically belonged to them. Hermione was a few steps in front of Harry and noticed something before he did sitting on the table, a folded up piece of parchment with her name written in neat, cursive letters.

She picked it up and looked at it curiously.

"Someone sent you a message? From who?" he wondered.

"I don't know." She flipped open the first flap and saw a single word written on the second.

_Constellation._

Hermione quickly pulled it away from Harry's peeping eyes and stammered, "Harry, um, would you mind asking Madam Pince for the book I requested? Please?" Harry looked at her suspiciously but walked off to the front desk. Hermione turned her attention back to the letter and opened it. It read:

I_ hope you got that little clue and hid it from Potter and/or Weasley's prying eyes. Otherwise, that would have been really pointless. Now you've gone and given them some excuse as to why you're reading this, so I'll make this quick. I'm going back to the Tower tonight. You can come if you want. If you don't, I really don't care._

_The Constellation_

_P.S. Tell them you asked McGonagall about an extra credit assignment. You're picking up the work later._

Just then, Harry returned, emptyhanded. "She said you didn't request anything," he pointed out.

"Oh really? Must have slipped my mind," she lied.

"So, who's it from?" he asked suspiciously, pulling out a chair and his Potions textbook he had become obsessed with.

"Professor McGonagall. I asked her about an extra credit assignment the other day. I'm picking up the work a bit later."

"Oh, okay then," he stated nonchalantly.

She took another glimpse at the letter and smiled.

_P.P.S. And now you're smiling because it worked. And if it hadn't, and you didn't make an excuse in the first place, then this would be a bit awkward._


	4. Chapter 4

**Song of the Chapter: Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran**

Hermione climbed anxiously up the stairs to the top of the Tower. She didn't know why she was returning, or what made her return. Her and Draco weren't exactly friends, but the most definitely were not enemies. And something inside her told her he liked her. It was probably that kiss. It was obvious how he talked his way around it, but he wasn't going to avoid it forever. She decided not to mention it for now, not wanting to step into something she would have no control over again. At the top, she saw Draco, waiting patiently against the wall. This time, he wore jeans and a black jacket, with his Slytherin scarf around his neck.

"Thought you'd come," he said.

"Only because you wanted me to," she suggested.

"I said I wouldn't care if you didn't."

"But you wrote the letter for a reason, didn't you?" No reply. She smirked and walked over to him, leaning next to him on the wall.

"Did it work? The excuse?" he asked.

"Yeah, thank you. I'm really terrible at lying," she admitted, causing him to smirk. A cold breeze flew into the room, chilling her. She had decided against wearing her robes since it was the weekend, and wore a white jumper and jeans. She suddenly wished she brought a jacket.

"You cold?" Draco asked.

"A bit."

"I'm not giving you my jacket, if that's what you're hoping for," he taunted. It was then that she shivered slightly, closing her mouth tightly so her teeth didn't chatter. With a defeated sigh, he unwrapped his scarf and handed it to her. And with his wand he muttered a heating charm around the two of them, immediately warming her up. She wrapped the scarf around her neck comfortably.

"Thanks," she said shyly. The pair slid down against the wall and sat on the stone floor. He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Don't mention it."

Then, there was silence. The two said absolutely nothing. What could they say? There was so much that needed to be put out there, but they simply couldn't bring themselves to say a word. A few minute later, Hermione felt obliged to start off the conversation.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you come to the Tower?"

He sighed heavily, and shook his hand in his hair, "I don't know. It's a good place to think, I guess."

"And what do you think about?"

"A lot of things, I suppose. Quidditch, homework, exams. Things like that."

"Do you...bring other people up here too?" she wondered.

He looked up at her, smirked, and replied, "You think I bring girls up here, don't you?"

Her face turned a violent shade of pink before replying, "No! No, I was just wondering if anyone else knew we were here, is all."

"Oh okay," he said slightly disappointed.

"Not that I don't like being here with you, because I do!" she reassured, "It's just that, you know, we can't really let anyone find out what we're doing." He turned more towards her to face her completely. "And what exactly are we doing, Granger?" he challenged.

She looked down at her hands, which were clamped together nervously, and muttered, "I don't know. I guess I just like spending time with you. It's different."

"What's different?"

"Like, like I don't have to pretend. I don't have to pretend to be happy around you when I'm feeling absolutely miserable."

"Like the Weasel."

She scoffed slightly and replied, "Yes, like Ronald."

"I see." He stayed quiet for a few moments before saying, "So, I make you happy now, is that right?" with a roguish grin. She laughed a little before giving him a small smile back. "Yes, Draco, believe it or not, I like being here with you."

It was then he gave her such a genuine smile, one she hadn't seen before. It was then she concluded, she really liked his smile. It was much better than any smirk or scowl he had ever bestowed on her.

"And I guess you're not as infuriating as I'd thought you'd be," Draco almost complimented.

"Thank you, Draco. Slightly offending, but still very sweet," she commented.

Everything she said was true. She genuinely felt safe around him. Sure he was mysterious and she had no idea where he was half the time, but it helped to know that she had another person in her life who she didn't have to hide anything from. She had a feeling he wouldn't be telling her just exactly was going on with him, but for the first time in a long time...

She just didn't care.

* * *

The night went surprisingly well for them. Draco got Hermione to admit that she truly did like spending time with him, and to himself, he got to admit the same thing for her. He wasn't ready to say why he kissed her a few nights before, though, because he couldn't explain it to himself.

Or at least that's what he told himself to keep him sane.

A few days later, he got to see her again during Potions. In class, as they were brewing a potion, he got to watch Hermione work from a distance. She was very tedious when it came to this sort of thing. Spacing out her ingredients in the order of which to put them in. Eyes glued to the textbooks next to her on what to do next. She was so determined to get it just right.

"Granger's quite the looker, ay mate?" the voice next to him said. He turned his head to find Cormac McLaggen also watching her. He looked back at Draco and noticed his expression, "Come on, mate, I saw you staring at her."

"Why don't you mind your own bloody business and brew the potion?" Draco seethed.

"Hey ease up, she's not yours or anything, is she?" he asked.

"She's-" he started, but then said, "No, she's not."

"Good, cuz' asking her to Slughorn's Christmas Party would have been awkward."

"What? You're asking her?"

"Yeah, why were you?"

"No, bu-"

"Good. The bookworms are always the wildest, if you know what I mean," he suggested with a wink.

Before Draco could say a word, Slughorn announced, "Okay class, we can finish this up tomorrow. So class dismissed."

"Hey, cheer up, mate," he added with a pat on the arm, "You can have her afterwards." And then the bloody git picked up his books and sauntered out the door with the rest of the classmates. Half of him wanted to go and beat the living crap out of the guy, and the other half...well the other half pretty much wanted the same thing. But he stood his ground and watched the rest of the class leave, including Weasley and Potter.

He turned around to find Hermione picking up a few of her things and looking up at him at the same time. Being the only one left in the room, he walked up to her and said, "We need to talk."

"Now?" she asked.

"No, not now, later. Meet me at the Tower tonight, and this time, bring a jacket." And with that, he left the room.

* * *

"Cormac McLaggen is what?" she asked with her arms crossed. Draco asked her to come to the Tower tonight because he need to talk to her about something. It seemed to really irritate him during class, but she hadn't said anything until she would see him.

"The bloody wanker is going to ask you to Slughorn's Christmas Party!" he claimed.

"And why is it so bad a guy's going to ask me?" she suggested.

"Because it's him, Hermione! He's a tool, he said he's just going to use you!"

"Aw," she suddenly awed.

"What?!" he demanded.

"You said my first name."

"Hermione, this is serious!

"Well, he did seem a little forward at the Dinner Party."

"What? You already talked to him?!" Draco demanded.

"Yeah a little. He kept giving me these weird looks an-" suddenly, Draco grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Hermione, you can't go with him! Promise me, you won't."

"Why do you care who I go with?" That question seemed to stop his rant. "Because...well I...Oh stop smiling, Hermione!" he whined. Draco turned around and walked back towards the cold stone wall, he leaned his head and forearms against it. She knew this was supposed to be a serious moment in their relationship, or friendship, or whatever they had going on, but she couldn't help the giddiness that coursed through her body.

She sauntered toward him with her arms crossed and leaned her head and shoulder against the wall beside him. "I can't believe you're actually jealous," she glowered. "Don't flatter yourself, Granger," he added against the wall.

"Why can't you just admit that you like me, Draco?" she boasted, the grin never leaving her face.

"Why can't you just ever shut up?" he retorted.

"Come on, Draco, say it with me: I..."

_"I..."_

"Like..."

_"Like..."_

"You."

_"Apples."_

"Draco!" she whined with her hands in the air. "Ugh...this is ridiculous," she realized and started walking away. It annoyed her to no end of how stubborn he was. "Wait, Hermione!" he called out.

"What?" she replied, turning around, hopeful that he might say it. He looked at her for the longest time, before saying, "Are you still going with him?" She put up her hands and groaned in defeat before leaving the Tower.

**A/N: Haha you guys aren't going to believe this, but as I was writing this scene, I was eating an apple. And it was only after reading again is when I noticed the slight Drapple comment I threw in there.**

**~Please Review~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Song of the Chapter: My Dark Side by Glee Cast (originally by Kelly Clarkson)**

It was the night of Slughorn's Christmas Party, and even though Draco wasn't invited, he planned to crash it. After spending a few hours in the Room of Requirement, he returned into the dark hallways. A door opened on the other side and loud music seeped into the halls. Hermione had accepted Cormac's invitation, further infuriating him to no end. _Why would she choose to go with him? If he tries anything, I swear-_

But what could Draco do? It wasn't like she belonged to him, they were never together. But something within Draco made him feel obliged to check in on her. He knew Cormac's type because at one point, he _was_ him. He was the type to date them, sleep with them, and never speak to them again. It helped build his reputation around Hogwarts. But now he knew it was wrong, because Cormac was probably running his filthy hands all over her.

As Draco walked towards the source of the noise, he spotted a bouncer guarding the door. He hid behind the nearest wall and pulled out his wand. He muttered a minor sleeping charm towards the man, causing him to fall to the floor, sound asleep.

He carefully made his way around the sleeping man and peeked inside the slightly open door. Yule-colored drapes hung loosely around the room, encasing the floors and ceiling to make it look like a tent. Music from the mandolin played in the corner of the room as some people danced, while others stood by the walls in deep conversation.

Draco casually strolled in and made his way to a silver platter of food, carried by a house elf. He scanned the room for any sign of Hermione before finding her behind a curtain, peeking out of it. He grabbed two Cauldron cakes and made his way over to her.

She darted back behind the curtain before she saw him, eliciting a smirk on his face. He stood just in front of the shuffling curtain and whispered, "Psst, Hermione. It's me."

Her head darted back out, meeting his gaze. "What are you doing here, Draco?!" she whispered back.

"Just let me behind the bloody curtain before someone sees me," he demanded in a hushed tone. She pulled open the curtain a little to reveal a small alcove, as he stepped inside.

"Draco, if someone sees you..." she began.

"No one's going to see me. Cauldron cake?" he offered. She took it from his hand in a very un-lady like manner. "Oh thank you, I haven't eaten all night," she thanked, stuffing the small cake into her hungry mouth.

"Why are you hiding here?" he asked, knowing it was a rhetorical question.

"Um, no reason," she lied.

"That's rubbish. I told you Cormac's no good, what'd the git try to do?" he questioned angrily.

"He keeps putting his hand on my back and trying to touch my bum," she confessed. Draco felt undeniably angry at that moment. He knew he would do something like this and he had no problem telling her he told her so. But right now, he felt like punching the slimy bloke in the face.

"Why are _you_ here, Draco? You're not part of the Slug Club."

"Just crashing the party," he lied.

"Yeah, sure," she said sarcastically.

"Why don't you just leave then?"

"I've tried! But Cormac's everywhere! I can't let him see me leaving or he's going to want to come with me! I need a distraction..."

Draco peeked out from behind the curtain and saw Cormac standing by the door, scanning the room for her. He needed to get him and his attention away from the door long enough for Hermione to make a break for it. "Wait here," he commanded before giving shoving his Cauldron cake in her hands and exiting the alcove.

He moved quickly towards the door and peeked out to find the guard still sleeping. He stepped over him and took out his wand. He whispered, "_Finite Incantatum_," and moved back quickly not to arouse suspicion.

The sleeping guard awoke slowly and saw Draco's retreating form at the end of the hallway. "Hey, where are you supposed to be?" the man demanded in a deep voice. Draco started running away, but slow enough for the guard to catch him. The guard tackled him to the ground as Draco pretended to struggle.

"What's your name?!"

"Draco Malfoy."

"You're not part of the Slug Club."

"Yes I am, now unhand me you filthy scoundrel!" Draco insulted.

"Come on," the guard pushed Draco onto his feet, grabbed him by the collar and pushed him towards the open door. The guard pushed the doors open and towards Slughorn and several other professors. The music had stopped along with the chatter of the party. Draco saw Cormac move around to see who had just walked in, just as Hermione popped her head out from behind the curtain.

Her eyes connected with his for a moment before she got the message. She sent a look of gratitude and hurried around Cormac's line of sight, and out the door.

_Ugh, the things I do for you, Hermione,_ he thought in annoyance before being reprimanded by the others.

* * *

**A/N: This section is third person omniscient.**

Hermione stood at the top of the staircase, her eyes glued to the back of an unaware Draco Malfoy. She took the time to examine. He had a sort of ambience around him, where he stood masculine and strong, but still have a certain grace about him. Draco had a way of drawing you in by his charm and then spitting you back out with his wit, yet you still come back.

Why?

She felt she might never have an answer to that question.

He stood against the moonlight, reminding her of the first time she came up here with him. He always seemed to be thinking, a face full of thought. The way his hands were held firmly together, clenching and unclenching whenever he came across something in his mind. She's never seen him this way, though. She's never seen him in the way where she noticed these small things about him, that truly defined who Draco was. This was Draco. Not the boy she had grown to hate from many years before. No, this was the real Draco.

"Hermione, if you keep standing there it's going to drive me absolutely mad," he stated, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Sorry," she responded, "I thought you'd might be here."

"Aren't I always?" he claimed. She strolled toward him hesitantly until she stood next to him on the balcony. "Thank you, for what you did back there. You were right about Cormac," she admitted.

"He's a right, foul git. He doesn't deserve you," he mentioned.

"You seem to say that a lot."

"Say what?"

"That they don't deserve me. Ron, Corm-"

"Because they don't, Hermione. I know where you're going with this, so drop it," he spat nastily.

"No. I'm not going to _drop it_. I'm _never_ going to just drop it. If you think you know me so well, who deserves me, Draco?!"

"I'm not answering that," he seethed.

"Well, I already know! You think you're the better man for me Draco! That's why you don't like them, because you think you're better than them!" Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back against the cold stone. The rough wall hit her back enough to bruise, but she didn't care, because her eyes were meeting it's match against Draco's. His hands gripped her arms tightly.

"Don't...you..._ever_ think that way. Do you understand?! _I_ don't deserve you, Hermione. They're probably better for you than I will ever be. I'm. No. Good." It was the first time in a long time that she felt fear, around him. Her heart raced frantically, her eyes searched for some meaning behind his words.

"I've done things, Hermione. Things you wouldn't believe if I told you. And now, I'm about to do something far worse. And when you find out, you'll never forgive me. That's why I can't say the things you want me to say. Because if my words, _mean_ something to you, it will only hurt you more in the end."

His very words took her breath away. What has he done to make him hate himself so much? What did he mean when he said she will never forgive him? Is this why he disappeared days on end? What was he hiding from the rest of the world?

She reached up with her right hand and touched his left forearm slightly. He released the tension on both his arms and let his right arm drop from his grip. Hermione hesitantly turned over his arm so his palm was facing her. He wore his white collared shirt with sleeves long enough to conceal whatever she was suspicious about.

Hermione gazed into his eyes as she unbuttoned the cuff links on his sleeve. And he did nothing to stop it. His eyes contained nothing but sadness as she tentatively pulled up the cloth to reveal the offending Dark Mark. He hadn't showed anyone that since he got it, unless it was the other Deatheaters.

He couldn't see her face, because her eyes were on his arm. She raised a finger to touch it. To trace the mark and feel it's depth, the way it curved, and exactly what it meant.

"Oh Draco," she breathed out, "What have you done?"

* * *

She must have left her hand on his arm for the longest sign, because both of them grew tired of standing and sat together in the corner of the Tower. None had spoken a word yet, and the silence was just so painful to bear. She tucked her right arm under his left and let her thumb continue to rub back and forth against the symbol.

She wished it was a stain, just a drop of ink on his pale skin that she could wipe away and never have to look at again. Draco didn't want to look at it either, in fact, he kept his head turned in a painfully awkward position just so he didn't have to.

"This isn't you, Draco," she finally broke their silence.

"What do you mean?" he asked lifelessly.

"This...symbol, it's not you."

"I'm the one who accepted it. I chose to let the Dark Lord connect me to him. Everything about it is me."

"You've let it take your skin, you've let it take your beliefs, but one thing it cannot take..." she paused and placed her other hand on his chest, "is your heart."

He turned his head toward where she placed her hand, right above his heart. And then he turned his attention to her face, her eyes on his. They were so close, his nose touched the tips of hers faintly. And then, she moved closer, and kissed him softly. It was a kiss that you'd want to hold onto forever. It was those lips that held together his broken soul and mended it, even at the darkest of times.

She pulled away and let her head rest comfortable onto his shoulder, letting her hand fall back to her side. It was the most comfortable feeling Draco had ever felt in a long time. If only he could hold onto that moment forever, commit it to memory, and live it over and over again.

Hermione slid her hand on his arm from the Mark, to his hand and held it tightly. He applied the same pressure into her hand and sat with her on the cold stone for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Song of the Chapter: I Don't Believe You by P!nk**

The next morning, Hermione awoke to find the sunrise flooding the Tower, and casting light on themselves. She had kissed Draco the night before, and before he could react, curled up to his side and fell asleep. The night had been freezing, causing Hermione to wake up at various times and curl up to him even more. As a result, she had pushed herself up against Draco for warmth, and let Draco wrap a protective arm around her. Her head fell against the crook in his neck, and breathed in his intoxicating scent.

Draco looked so peaceful when he slept. His hair fell carelessly across his forehead, and moved with the soft morning breeze. A million things crossed her mind about how to talk to him today. What could she say? Harry was right, he was a Deatheater, and as it turns out, he was up to something.

The sun continued to rise slowly beyond the horizon line, it was such a beautiful sight to hold. She felt warm inside knowing Draco was their with her, but wasn't exactly aware of her feelings. She didn't know how to feel about Draco, but what she did know was that he was so much more than what he had become. And when she kissed him that night, it was...instinct. As if gravity had pushed her forward and told her to do so, and it was worth it.

He shifted a little on the cold stone, pulling her closer. She wanted to hold him longer, but it wouldn't be long before her dorm mates notices she hadn't returned that night. And the fact that she was still in her dress from the night before would only further their suspicion.

"Draco," she whispered softly, "It's morning. Wake up." She tapped his chest softly, but he continued to sleep. "We have to go, Draco," she tried again.

"Five...more...minutes," he grumbled.

"My dorm mates would find out I didn't come back last night. I have to go." Draco slowly opened his eyes but squinted against the morning sun. "Ugh, what time is it?" he asked crankily, shifting away from her and putting a hand up to block the sun's rays.

"I don't know," she stated, pulling her jacket closed from the chilly morning air.

"We should go," he finally agreed, standing up and wiping the soot off his trousers. He moved towards the staircase, but Hermione then called out, "Draco, wait."

He stopped in his tracks and turned halfway to face her. "What?" he asked.

"We have to talk about last night."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"But-"

"No, Hermione. That kiss was a mistake that you're only going to regret in the end."

"What 'end'? Why do you keep saying 'end' like that's the last time you're going to see me?"

"The end won't be the last time I see you, because that starts now. Don't come around here anymore, I don't need you."

"I don't believe that."

"Well start believing it. Whatever this is between us, it has to stop."

"Why Draco? I understand you're a Deatheater but that doesn't mean I can't help you!"

"What could you possibly do that is going to change that?! If you haven't noticed, the Dark Lord isn't exactly keen on letting one of his followers go alive! I have no choice, Hermione." The fact that Draco wouldn't let her help him infuriated her, but what made her mad even more was the fact that he was right. There was nothing she could do about changing the Dark Lord's mind. "Just get out of here, Granger."

"I'm not going to just...leave you! Not like this!" she cried out. She could see the look of deep frustration in his face. He struggled with his thoughts, and it was easy to tell. He moved in closer to her so she could see just how frustrated he had become and spat out, "I hate you, Hermione Granger. I hate everything about you. You're aggravating, stubborn, infuriating, snobby, uptight and I can't stand the sight of you. Your constant need to figure out everything gives me headaches and the fact that your still here only makes me want to hex you off that balcony. Face it, Granger. You're nothing to me but a filthy little mudblood who was gullible enough to believe that I actually liked you. You. Are. Nothing to me."

She would be lying if she said that his words didn't hurt her, but she knew why he said them in the first place. "You don't mean that," she said breathlessly.

"I do, Granger. I never liked you. The only reason I was nice to you was so that I might get a shag out of it. But you're not worth the haste, Granger."

"You're lying," she denied, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

"I'm not lying, you're not worth the effort."

"Oh god," she suddenly sobbed out. Hermione didn't want to let the words get to her, but they were. She covered her mouth to stifle the enraged sob that was sure to come out if she hadn't. She shut her eyes from his menacing gaze and moved away from him and towards the wall. Hermione faced the wall and let more tears fall down the sides of her face.

* * *

Watching Hermione Granger cry was one of the hardest sights he's ever witnessed. And to be the one that caused that pain was unbearable. Draco watched as she continued to fall apart before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He cared about her, deeply. But it was better to have her hurt now, then when she finds out what he had to do. The Dark Lord said that killing his Headmaster would prove to him that the Malfoy name wasn't useless anymore. But at this point...was it really worth it? He often told himself it was, to make himself feel like he had to do what was right. But nothing could make the situation look any better.

How he wished he could embrace her until she stopped crying and make those tears go away. How he wished he could tell her that everything was going to be alright. But he did nothing.

Because the truth was, what else could he do?

He had to watch painfully as she finally turned around to look him in the eyes, which were filled with nothing but loathing. Both hadn't said a word as she removed herself from the room and left him alone in their Tower.

* * *

Hermione managed to go back to Gryffindor Tower without being seen, that is, until she reached the door and was found by Harry. He was reading the Half-Blood Prince's book when Hermione came in with tears in her eyes and the same clothes she had worn the night before. And this left no wondering in Harry's mind to what may have caused this. But of course, he would never guess it was Draco that had hurt her so much.

"Who was it, Hermione? Cormac? I'll kill him, I swea-"

"No, Harry," she stifled out, "It wasn't him."

"Then what happened, Hermione? Did someone hurt you?!"

_Yes._ "No."

"Then please tell me why you're here crying and still wearing your dress from last night!" he demanded. She looked sullenly at her pleading friend but only hugged him desperately and for the second time that year, cried into his arms. "Please let me help you, Mione. Your my best friend and I can't stand to see you like this when I can be hexing whoever did this to you," he said somewhat soothingly.

"I don't think I'm ready to talk about it just yet," she lied, "Can we just...stay like this for a bit?"

"Anything," he declared and let her continue to sob. After a few minutes, Hermione was able to control herself once more before releasing Harry and shifting her gaze away from him. "Do you want to talk about it now, Mione?" he asked. She merely shook her head, but refused to weep anymore. He stayed silent for a minute before saying, "I have to start getting my trunk ready for the break. Would you like to help me?"

Hermione nodded and followed Harry up the stairs to get his things. She often helped Harry with these sort of things because he was hopelessly unorganized when it came to packing. No one else was in the room when she arrived, and Harry pulled out his trunk from underneath his bed. Harry had already packed most of his clothes, and it made her feel better to know he used her system of how to pack. She worked on organizing his parchment papers and quills, while he stacked textbooks on top of his folded clothes.

She turned away from him and continued her sorting facing the window. It was from that window where she could still have a view of the Forest and the ground below, which only reminded her of one other person. He could still be at the Tower, but that doesn't mean she was ready to see him. She continued looking out the window sullenly, hoping that what Draco said in that Tower wasn't true.

Harry saw her stare at the window and wanted nothing more than to make her feel better. He hadn't seen her that upset since she saw Ron snogging Lavender. He'd give anything to make her happy again, because she was like his sister. Along with the rest of the Weasleys, she was his only family he had. It was then he suddenly had a thought that just might work.

He continued packing nonchalantly, but then started humming. Hermione immediately recognized the tune and gave a small smile. It was the song, "Do The Hippogriff," by the Weird Sisters. She had first heard it in Fourth Year at the Yule Ball and thought it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. The song was still catchy and was no better than any muggle music she had heard before.

Harry continued humming until she turned around to face him with the smallest of smiles. He gave a wide grin at her before singing aloud, "_Move your body like a hairy troll_."

"_Learning to rock and roll, spin around like a crazy elf, dancin' by himself,"_ he continued. Hermione let out a small laugh and let him continue, "_Boogie down like a unicorn, __No stoppin' till the break of dawn, __Put your hands up in the air, __Like an ogre, who just don't care!"_

Hermione began laughing loudly as he started moving around a little, like he was dancing. "Come on, Mione. Sing with me," he insisted, "I know you know the lyrics."

She went along with his little game and sang softly, "_Oh, Can you dance like a hippogriff?" _

"See! There you go! _Flyin' off from a cliff_!"

"_Swooping down to the ground."_

_"__Wheel around and around and around and around_," he sang, spinning around for emphasis. She laughed breathlessly as the two continued their song while packing his clothes. It was the most fun she had in a long time, and she felt so grateful to have Harry there with her. He'd always be there to cheer her up, and never seemed to run out of dry clothes for her to cry on. It was times like these where he made her feel like she wasn't an only child, because she'd always have him.

At the end of the song, she sang out, "_Can dance you like a hippogriff?_"

"_Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!" _Harry belted out the last line, making her forget whatever she was sad about in the first place.

The two laughed loudly before another voice came from the entryway, "When you ladies are finished up in here, let us know so we can go to breakfast," a grinning Ginny interrupted. Ron's face peeked out from behind her, who seemed to have trouble breathing over his laughter. Ginny and Ron laughed hysterically as they descended down the stairs, followed by more laughter from Hermione.

She went over to Harry who seemed to frozen in place and very pink with embarrassment. Hermione giggled as she hugged him tightly, and said, "Harry, I'm so sorry. You probably didn't want Ginny to see that."

"Yeah, well, it's alright, I guess," he replied in a monotone voice. Hermione pulled away and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Harry. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Anything for you, Mione," he said, hugging his friend back. Harry hadn't totally made her forget about Draco, but he certainly did a hell of a job trying.

"Alright, let's go to Breakfast so I can regain whatever's left of my pride."

* * *

**A/N: Haha this chapter kind of made me laugh at the end. I just wanted to get my point across that Harry is always there for her to cheer her up. It's not like Ron who she always liked. Harry's her brother and I just wanted emphasize their relationship.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Song of the Chapter: Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy**

_I'm not sure quite when it started, or when it ended. But all I know is that it's back. Yes, that know-it-all, muggleborn, bookworm, was back in my life. And it wasn't an obsession, it really wasn't! _

_You see, my parents raised me to believe that all muggles and muggleborns were below us, and that we shouldn't associate ourselves with them at all. And of course, as a kid, the most you want to do is make your parents proud. Sure I was a bit overly arrogant, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. It's just a natural personality for a Malfoy to have arrogance and hold ourselves in high regard._

_Now that I've changed, I guess you can say I see things differently. I'm not going to go befriend every muggle in the muggle world and engage in their strange customs. I've changed, but not that much. _

_Hogwarts was only a starting point for what was to come for me. Coming to the school, I had a few expectations for the muggleborns here. Well, for one, I half expected them to be totally barbaric. And that Wizards and Witches were much more elegant and aristocratic. But instead what I found is that, well, I couldn't really tell the difference. Of course, I wasn't going to say anything and risk the Malfoy reputation of drawing the boundary line between muggleborn, halfblood, and pureblood._

_Anyway, by the time I was in my first year at Hogwarts, I had already heard that the famous Harry Potter was in my same year. __So I tried to be his friend, but apparently I wasn't good enough. Like I cared anyway, he wasn't worth my time. So I stuck with tormenting him and his friends, and I mean, why wouldn't you? _

_I swear everything he did seemed to be glorified by everyone, and not once had he basked in the glow of it. He was too modest for his own good and wouldn't accept any special treatment from it. _

_And I hated him for it._

_This continued on for some time and my hatred only grew when I found out Potter was made Seeker for his house team. Oh and I knew I had to beat him, and my Father's complaining didn't help the situation at all. He always talked about how I should have been made a Seeker, and how I wasn't good enough. But I wasn't defeated yet._

_In second year, I finally got my chance when Father bought the whole team Firebolts. Yes, that helped immensely, but it wasn't enough because that bloody Potter had me beat again. _

_I took out my frustration on him and his little group by tormenting and practically putting them through hell. Sure, it worked, but it still wasn't enough since they had me beat in everything else. _

_It wasn't Potter who just annoyed me, but also his side kick, Weasley. That Weasley could barely afford the clothes he wore, and his Mum probably made them out of old hand-me-downs. It wasn't just him, but his family as well. All they did was stick together, laugh, and talk. It was disgusting. Father always called them Blood traitors for associating themselves with muggleborns and all. _

_Then there was Granger. She may have been, or in fact is, the brightest witch of our age, smartest witch in the room, and a total kiss up. Always had her nose stuck in a book, that one. Making the rest of us look bad. Of course, she was probably too up tight to bother checking who had the second highest grade level in class. That's right, it was me. And I was quite proud of myself for it. But that didn't suit to well with Father, as a Malfoy was to always have the best._

_And it wasn't until that same year that I actually spoke to her. I hadn't spoken to her directly the first time I met her. But our first actual conversation would have to include her insulting me in front of the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. Saying that I had no talent, well, she asked for it. So yeah, I called her a mudblood. That's what she is, right? _

_And that was my first mistake._

_That same year also happened to be the year that the monster from the Chamber of Secrets was out to get just the type. And I hoped she would be the next target. Or at least that's what I told everyone who talked about it, because for some reason, the minute I heard about it, Granger would just pop into my head and along with an insult. And when I found out that she had been petrified and was in the Hospital Wing, it wasn't annoyance that she hadn't died, but more so relief. Of course, I didn't want her to die! Who else would I have to torment for their blood heritage and still be equally matched in intellect with?_

_And I guess that it was brought me to my first visit in the Hospital Wing._

_Whenever the two idiots weren't gushing over their fallen friend, I had the chance to sneak in as much as I wanted. At first, it was to mock her with torments. But it wasn't fun when she wouldn't say anything back. So I did something that I wouldn't admit to anyone else._

_I...talked. Not just nasty remarks about the others, but about...me. Now I'm no ninny when it comes to feelings, and I wasn't gushing over an unconscious body. I mostly just talked about my parents and how they had all these plans for me that I didn't really know if I wanted. _

_I talked about other things to, like how much Potter and Weasley managed to piss me off everyday. And how Crabbe and Goyle were nothing but servants who inhaled every snack in their path. I even talked about Pansy, who had started having this ridiculous crush on me and would follow me around like some lost puppy._

_Then I started talking about her, the very person I was talking to. How much stranger could it get? Talking to Granger about Granger. I mean, she always had to be so much smarter than me. And she just so happened to be a muggleborn too. And maybe that's why I bullied her so much, because I didn't know that a muggleborn could be better than a Malfoy. I knew that once she woke, she wouldn't have any account of me talking to her. But something about having someone to talk to kept me coming back everyday._

_I would have liked to continue talking to her for a bit longer, but then the Professors had come up with the antidote and sprung her. Was I disappointed that the only person I had ever talked to had risen? Kind of. I should've been happy for her, I suppose. But then again I also felt bad for her, having to follow the two idiots around again._

_And now that she had forgotten (or technically did not recall), I guess it was my turn to forget too. So...I did. After a while, I just went my separate way, not wanting to see her again. It would have been so easy to turn around and never have to look back again. Oh, but that stubborn Gryffindor wasn't done with me yet._

_In third year, she came back to me with a hard slap in the face. Literally. A lot had come from just a hit. That's when she truly got under my skin. I secretly plotted my revenge from a distance for a while, before my eavesdropping took an interesting turn. I guess I never realized how much trouble the trio got into at school. You'd think a do-gooder like her would keep those two on a leash, but she was right next to them though out everything. _

_I followed the lot to the stupid Groundkeeper's hut, again keeping my distance. I had to disappear into those blasted woods for a while too. That's when things took a troubling turn. Those three had followed a stupid rat to the Whomping Willow. Nearly getting themselves killed. That's when I saw the Grim. I saw it drag Weasley into the root of it. And you'd think the brightest witch of our age would go get a teacher or something, but apparently, she wasn't smart enough. That blasted girl followed Potter inside!_

_A few moments later, I saw Lupin also follow them into the root. At first I thought they would be safe, but then I thought about it again. Lupin was barely a professor, and with him and the oaf Hagrid as two recently hired teachers, Dumbledore wasn't exactly the best judge of character. So I ran back in and found Snape. He said he would take care of it and told me to go back to the Dungeons._

_From then on, I wasn't sure what had happened. Because the next day, they acted as though nothing had happened and everything was cheery. I wouldn't tell anyone because I was sure they were already in more trouble as it is. And that's when I knew, what kind of person would I be to let someone like her risk her life for some boys who were too stupid enough to keep her safe? I would have none of that. So from then on I was determined to keep an eye out, and when she would ever need my assistance, I'd be there._

_Over the summers, I assumed that she would be safe with her parents in the muggle world. I guess you could say that she became a sort of Secret Keeper (not under the Fidelius Charm), considering all I had told her from second year. She didn't exactly remember me telling her anything, but I still entrusted her with them. Therefore I regarded her greatly from then on._

_It wasn't until Fourth Year that I found something pretty interesting about her. She was really...beautiful. It was at the Yule Ball. I had originally thought she would either be going with Weasley or stay cooped up in her dorm crying her eyes out. I told myself constantly that it was just the dress, the hair, and the make up that made me think that way. _

_I saw the way that Weasel treated her. He yelled at her, humiliated her, and made her feel so vulnerable when he saw her and Krum dance together. I almost punched that Weasel in the face because of it. _

_Later that year, she had taken part in one of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Challenges. How could I have been so stupid to let her out of my sight! She could have died under the water! The Mer-people could have killed her! She would have been taken away by the giant squid or something! _

_Straight after that challenge, I went to Dumbledore. It was such a stupid challenge! Yeah, the tournament was meant to be dangerous and many would risk their lives because of it, but not hers! She wasn't a champion, and she wasn't some prize to be won at the bottom of the lake! It wasn't fair and completely reckless! I almost mouthed off to the Headmaster because of it. And that man, all he could do was just stroke his white beard and smirk at me as if I were a small child having a tantrum. _

_And I think he pretty much figured it out from there. I liked her. So what?_

_By the time I was in Fifth Year, things started getting...complicated. My Father kept sending me letters and talking to me more and more about the Dark Lord's plans. Which was unusual because...well to be perfectly honest, my Father never talked to me. He kept saying how he had plans for me the following year during my Sixth Year._

_Of course, at the time I thought nothing of it. But if I had known, I would've packed my belongings, left that house and go to the muggle world where I would confess my attraction to Hermione Granger on her doorstep._

_So what if I liked her, it shouldn't matter that much anyway, right? It wasn't like she felt the same way! She obviously had feelings for that completely oblivious Weasley. And what kind of innocent Gryffindor like that would go for a devilishly handsome Slytherin like me? Of course she would have, she was just too blind to see it in my opinion. _

_I tried my best to keep an eye on Granger from time to time. But that year, she wasn't particularly easy to track. That's why I joined the Inquisitorial squad in hopes that she's be easier to find while patrolling. That's when we caught them all in the Room of Requirement. It was quite the relief to just find her there and not in harm's way. Apparently, the lot had been teaching themselves Defensive spells the whole time!_

_I couldn't really blame them for wanting to do actual magic, considering all the crap Umbridge put us through that year._

_I was glad that she was safe, but as all the other years have shown, she wasn't always one for playing it safe. The Daily Prophet had surprised and angered me with the news that they had broken into the Department of Mysteries and were attacked by Deatheaters and who Potter reported their to be, Voldemort. How thick could one person be to follow someone into danger and not knowing whether they'd come back alive? Apparently, that did not stop her!_

_What pushed me over the edge was my Father's involvement. My Father had revealed to me that himself and my Aunt were involved in the attack and had nearly killed Hermione. If this is what my Father had planned for me, I knew then and there that there was no way she would ever forgive me for this. __The whole illusion of being with Hermione became a distant memory as reality had settled in._

_The whole time I thought Potter and Weasley were putting her through the trouble, it wasn't them. It was me! It was my family, my heritage, my family's beliefs! The beliefs I was supposed to believe! And I had absolutely no way out of my FUCKING OBLIGATIONS!_

_I didn't want to be one of them. _

_I didn't want to be what my Father was. What he was._

_But I accepted the Dark Mark. Because after I lost her, after I lost faith in what could've been, I lost myself. My soul didn't matter anymore. Any dream that I had of leaving this godforsaken family were taken because I had to forget about her. I couldn't have her. Therefore I couldn't have myself._

_So now here I am, figuring out how to fix that fucking cabinet and pretending not to care about the one girl I could actually lo- No. No, I'm not doing this again. _

This was what Draco thought about as he watched from the Tower's balcony as the rest of his classmates made their way towards the train that would take them home for Christmas. His Father had made him stay at the school instead of "wasting time" with his family. But he didn't care, because his eyes were on the bushy-headed bookworm that walked casually towards the train, and hopefully out of his life.

**A/N: Just in case you were a little confused by this chapter, this is all of Draco's thoughts in the past couple of years. It's pretty much his entire point of view. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Song of the Chapter: The Scientist by Coldplay**

"Oh Hermione," Mrs. Granger gushed as she squeezed her daughter immediately after she exited the train, "We've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mum," she also gushed as she embraced her Mother. She released and was quickly embraced by her Father who was holding her trunk. "You haven't written for a few weeks and we were worried," Mr. Granger noticed.

"I'm sorry, I've been quite busy with my classes and all my assignments," Hermione half-lied. Her professors did give her assignments, which she always completed, but have been so caught up with everything else in her life she had neglected to owl her parents. They talked for a minute before they were approached by Ron and Harry.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Granger," they greeted, shaking their hands, "We were wondering if Hermione couold visit us at the Burrow for dinner sometime."

"Of course, and feel free to visit us anytime," Mrs. Granger agreed.

"Brilliant, well we'll see you soon, Mione," Harry said, giving her a warm hug. She gave a quick wave to Ron before following her Mum and Dad to the car. On the way home, she listened to her Mum and Dad babble on and on about the dentistry business. Apparently, they were thinking about making their own toothpaste and endorsing it. She loved her parents, but these talks often bored her to sleep, which was exactly what she did all the way home.

As soon as she arrived, she brought her trunk up the flight of stairs and proceeded to unpack her belongings. She kept her mind busy thinking about all her assignments and organizing her study time for the upcoming exam. But there were always the stray thoughts that she would come across in her mind that were nothing but a nuisance.

She hadn't seen Draco on the train that morning, which made her think that maybe he hadn't come at all. What made him stay at Hogwarts? As far as she knew, he usually went home for Christmas much like the rest of their grade. Did it have anything to do with his mysterious plans for the 'end'? Hermione suddenly became very paranoid at the sound of that, whatever it may be. She had thought about confiding in Harry and Ron with Draco's secret, but then Draco might never forgive her for betraying his trust.

Just then, her Mother knocked tentatively at her open door with a cup of tea.

"Thought you might like some tea, dear," she offered, placing the tray on her nightstand.

"Thanks, Mum," she thanked mindlessly.

"Are you alright, dear? You seem a bit...distant," she commented.

"I'm fine, just still a bit tired, I suppose."

"You slept just fine in the car. Maybe your coming down with something," she suggested, placing her hand on her forehead, "Well, no fever."

"I said, I'm fine, Mum. I just- I just need to unpack." Her Mother silently agreed and proceeded helping her unpack her clothes. "So, it appears your going back over to the Weasleys again. Any reason in particular?" she suggested.

"No, they just invited me for dinner same as always," Hermione replied.

"What about that Ronald you've become so enamored with? He's a handsome young man, isn't he?"

"Mum," she grumbled. Before their sixth year, her Mother had figured out her secret crush on Ron and had teased her about it for quite sometime. She'd often slip dating advice into a conversation or mention his name like it was some sort of forbidden word. "Well, I'm just saying! I thought you liked him..." she pointed out.

"I do, but...well, I don't know. He has a girlfriend now, and they seem to like each other a lot..."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, sweetie. He wasn't that handsome anyway," she commented. Hermione let out a small smile and continued placing her clothes into the drawers. "It's just that...I don't think he was right for me in the first place. Sometimes he's just so...oblivious and...well he's not very bright."

Mrs. Granger laughed at her comment and stated sweetly, "Well, he doesn't deserve you then." _Ha, I've heard that before, _Hermione thought sullenly. Draco had always said how much none of them deserve her, causing her to think that maybe he truly did like her. And was she wrong to think so? She knew Draco was lying to her when he said all those mean things, he didn't mean any of it. But even that didn't help soften the blow.

"Penny for your thoughts?" her Mother asked.

"Wha-? Oh, it's nothing."

"Come on. Don't hide anything from Mummy," she pried. Hermione looked sympathetically at her Mother. Her Mother never judged her about anything. Sure, she was opinionated, but that never meant Hermione had to follow her exact advice. "Ok just...promise not to tell Dad, okay?"

"Nothing leaves this room," she promised. Her Mother sat down next to Hermione and wrapped a loving arm around her soothingly. "Alright, sweetie. What's troubling you?"

"It's...well...remember a long time ago, I told you about a boy at my school? Draco Malfoy?"

"Draco? You mean that nasty boy that makes fun of you? Yes, I remember."

"Well, I began talking to him this year. And, I think he's changed."

"What do you mean?"

"He's changed, like, he doesn't believe in blood prejudice anymore. I've talked to him about it, and I think he might...like me."_ Regardless of what he tells me,_ she thought.

"And do you like him?" _Ah, there's the forbidden question._

"I don't know. Sometimes he's so charming, and other times..." _...he's just so cruel._

"And what's wrong with being charming? It sounds to me like you do like him."

"It's just," she sighed heavily before burying her head in her hands, "It's complicated."

"Listen to me, Hermione. Any boy who puts you through this much confusion and grief, is not worth it. I remember you talking about how foul he was to you a few years ago. How much can he possibly change?" Hermione looked longingly at her Mother. How she wished she could tell her why she was just so confused. But it wouldn't be fair to mention that he was a Deatheater, because that would immediately make her think he was a bad person. But, the truth was, he wasn't. She saw the kindness in his eyes many nights ago, and she knows that that kindness is still somewhere buried within the massive walls he has built to cover up what he truly was.

Hermione's mother kissed her forehead softly before saying, "If you're still feeling confused, you know you can always talk to me." Her Mother gave her another sympathetic look before leaving and shutting the door softly.

* * *

_Draco,_

_He is getting very impatient with you. If he has to wait any longer for this, it will be all of us who are punished!_

_L_

That was what the note said before Draco crumpled it in his hands and muttered a fire charm, setting it ablaze. It slowly burned before his eyes as he sat at the edge of the lake, twiddling his wand in his finger. The Tower hadn't felt the same since she left, and being there only reminded him of how much pain he had caused her.

He shouldn't have started the whole mess in the first place. He shouldn't have kissed her their first night together in the Tower. He had ruined everything, even when there was absolutely nothing to start. But he supposed he wasn't entirely to blame. She had come back for him that second night, so unknowing of what exactly she had gotten herself into.

She should have just stuck with Weasley. The two were practically destined to be married and have a dozen children together. But Draco had to be selfish and go for what he wanted, but not what he deserved. His feelings for her were so strong, but there was not enough strength to drive her away in the first place. And now that he had done just that, it hurt so much more.

Draco looked up from his thoughts and stared off into the Forbidden Forest, across the lake, which was quiet during this time of year. The snow had claimed the forest and covered it with its pure white cloak. It shifted off the leaves from the movement of small creatures who've hibernated to the trees. It was peaceful. Calm. Everything he ever wanted. It was then he realized he sat at the boundary line between nature and the castle. He could run away from it. Run as far as the forest extended and never have to look back. But even then, he would never make it. He would be found and brought back to do what the Dark Lord wanted.

This was the life he had drawn for himself. This was who he was. And no one, not even Hermione could change that.

He kicked the burning note into the lake and let it sink into the deep, murky water before returning back to the castle. As he made his way inside, he found the halls to be entirely empty, and that barely any students had stayed. He was sure there were others in the castle who had not left, but for now, it was just him and his thoughts.

Draco made his way over to the wall which secretly housed the Vanishing Cabinet which he had been fixing for a while. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts fill with what he needed to accomplish in order for the door to appear. Just then, a voice called out from behind him, "Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco spun around to find Professor Dumbledore standing in the middle of the hallway. "I see you decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas," he commented.

"Yes, Headmaster," he said respectively.

"A few of us Professors and the other remaining students will be treated to a special feast on Christmas Eve. It's not mandatory, but will you be joining us?"

"No, I don't think so. I might just go to the kitchen for a bite to eat."

"I see. You know, we haven't gotten to talk in quite some time," Dumbledore pointed out. Draco recalled going to his office during 4th year to complain about one Tri-Wizard challenge Hermione had been involved in. "Why don't you, take a walk with me, Draco?" Draco would give anything at the moment to just run for the dungeons and never look back. How could he have small talk with a man who he had to kill possibly a few months from now?

"Alright," he agreed wearily.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Dumbledore commented, "The other Professors have noticed something change in you, Draco. Your grades have been steadily declining."

"I've been trying to do better," Draco lied.

"As long as you continue your hard work, I'm sure you will get better. I shouldn't be telling you this, but since you are second in your class, we were thinking about making you Head Boy next year. Wouldn't that be exciting?"

"Brilliant," Draco lied again. He wouldn't be attending Hogwarts next year, but didn't plan on mentioning it to anyone. "I'm sure your Mother and Father would be thrilled. How are they, by the way?"

"Good." _They want me to murder you. _The conversation went on for quite sometime exactly like this. Where Dumbledore would ask a vague question, and Draco answering with a one word answer. But Dumbledore was never one to judge. Draco found out this a long time ago when he had confided in him his special secret.

They had eventually walked to the hallway just outside of the greenhouse. The tinted green windows were slightly opened, and various stems and leaves seemed to meander out of them.

"Huh, It appears Professor Sprout has neglected to trim a few stems from her plants," Dumbledore mentioned. He walked up to the flimsy stems and examined them with great care. "These vines are simply pouring out of her classroom."

Draco simply nodded as Dumbledore continued to examine them. "I don't suppose you know this, but, certain types of vine could be used in certain wandlore. Yes, they can produce wands of special nature, but are often less common among most Witches or Wizards," Dumbledore continued.

"Why is that?" Draco asked aloofly.

"Well, these witches or wizards often find themselves seeking a greater purpose in just about anyone's life. They can reach out to those around them and seek something within them they weren't even aware of in the first place. They have visions beyond the ordinary and beyond themselves. And they nearly always astound those around them, who think they know them best."

"And what about Hawthorn? That's what mine is made of," Draco asked curiously.

"Hawthorn is a particularly complex wand to create, almost as complex as the one who owns them. The owner of a Hawthorn wand has talent beyond what they know. The Hawthorn wood is always attracted to a person facing turmoil or despair within in their life, but when one is wielding it, they have the power to make a difference in the world around them." Draco stared downward, his mind filled with thought. Before he could say another word, Dumbledore interrupted, "I simply must fetch Mr. Filch to help trim. I'm afraid I must get going. Lots to do, lots to do!" Dumbledore turned away with a sly smile on his face as he left a very conflicted Draco in the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Song of the Chapter: Glitter in the Air by P!nk**

Hermione soon found her vacation to end far too soon, as she said goodbye, yet again, to her parents and boarded the Hogwarts express. She soon found the compartment where Harry sat alone, reading yet again. "Harry, must you always read that book?" she greeted with a question.

"It's good to see you too, Hermione," Harry greeted back. Hermione placed her bag on the shelf above and sat next to Harry, peering into his mysterious book. "Oh, and I wanted to tell you something," Harry interrupted, "It's about Malfoy, that night at Slughorn's Christmas Party."

"What about it?" Hermione wondered, slightly nervous that he might have seen them together.

"Snape escorted Malfoy from the party after he was caught. I followed them out and overheard him talking to Snape about some sort of mission. Snape kept offering to help him, but Malfoy refused, saying that he was chosen! You see, Mione, this is what I've been trying to tell you! Malfoy's a Deatheater, I just know it!" Hermione hated seeing her friend so stuck on what was the truth, and convincing him that he wasn't was all the more difficult.

"Maybe Snape was trying to find out what Draco was up to, Dumbledore probably told him to," she denied.

"That's what Mr. Weasley and Lupin said too. But what if that wasn't it? Maybe Snape is in on it too. And listen to this: Lupin told me about how he got bit by some werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Sound familiar?"

"That's the same werewolf Draco threatened Borgin with at his shop," she recalled.

"See? It all makes sense!"

"But even if Draco did threaten him, it doesn't actually mean he was telling the truth. Draco is pretty good at lying..."

"Don't keep denying this, Hermione. And why do you keep calling him, Draco?!" Hermione began nervously tapping her foot, trying to figure her way around the whole situation. "I'm not denying anything, Harry! I'm just saying that what he said could have been an empty threat. And well, his name...it's just his name! It's not like it matters..." she stated. Harry had a suspicious look on his face but wiped it away when Ginny and Ron slid into their compartment. "Sorry guys, just had to put trunks away," Ron said, "So, what were you guys talking about?"

Hermione groaned as Harry set down his book and restarted his rant on what Malfoy truly was. And he couldn't have been more right.

As she pretended to listen to Harry drone on and on with his theories, she had time to herself to think about Malfoy and what her Mother had told her. Maybe Draco wasn't worth the grief he caused her. He had only said those things because he wanted her to stay away from what he was becoming. He was letting that damn tattoo take over himself, while all she wanted to do was put him back together.

* * *

From the train, to the carriages, to the dining hall, and to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione's eyes were glued to the floor beneath her. She had decided on the train that she would not be seeing Draco Malfoy anymore. This meant no midnight visits to the Astronomy Tower, no secretive glances at each other in class, absolutely nothing. Nope. Never seeing him again. Ever.

So why on earth was she still thinking about it? Was she declaring the fact, or was she ordering it? She then started thinking about why she came to the Tower in the first place, what started it all. She recalled the night she cried over Ron and Lavender, but she couldn't quite figure out why she ever came back. This seemed to puzzle her, even as she unpacked her belongings in her dormitory.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned to see Ginny, peering into the room. "Dumbledore wants to see you in his office."

"Me? But, why?" Hermione asked nervously. Did he see her midnight trips to the Tower? Was she caught? Will she get detention?

"I don't know, but it must be important. Dumbledore barely has anyone come to his office, besides Harry."

Hermione nodded her head, set down her things and followed Ginny out of the room. She nervously twiddled with her hands as she paced down the hall nervously. Anytime she's been in Dumbledore's office, it was with Ron or Harry. Unless, they were already there. As she walked up to the entrance, the statue of an eagle was already turning and creating a stairwell for her. She knocked on the office door tentatively, before it opened for her.

Dumbledore sat casually on the edge of his desk stroking his pet bird, a beautiful scarlet red Phoenix. "Hello, Ms. Granger," he greeted.

"Good evening, Professor," Hermione greeted formally.

"Please sit," Dumbledore gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Hermione hesitantly took a seat wondering about his reason for summoning her. She watched Dumbledore stroke the brs feathers, mezmorized by its beauty. "Lovely creature, isn't she?"

"She's magnificent," Hermione commented. The bird also seemed to eye Hermione with the same amount of curiousity. "Yes. Fawkes wasn't always this way, you know. I found her in the thick jungles of India, when I was travelling as a young man. As I'm sure you already know, these creatures aren't particularly fond of being domesticated."

"It's quite funny, really. I had no intention of finding this bird, let alone bring her home. It just so happens, that as I was walking, I came across Fawkes cornering a small bird, the color of a robin's egg. Quite possibly a mockingbird. It was a dainty little thing, almost as big as a Phoenix's beak. It was chirping happily, enjoying itself, not caring about the much larger bird who stood in front of him. And then...she did it."

"Did what, sir?"

"She destroyed it. Fawkes killed that small bird. Pecked and pecked at the poor creature until it bled. Not even then did Fawkes stop. Fawkes stepped on bird a thousand times with her large talons."

"That's horrible!" Hermione exclaimed, receiving an unreadable look from Fawkes.

"At that point, I was so shocked at such a cruel, violent act, that I couldn't stand to look at the scene any more. But for some reason, I did look. I held my ground and watched the Phoenix turn around and stare into the ground. She did not move, she did not blink, she simply stared endlessly at the ground. It was then a saw a tear form in her eye, and soak into the dirt. It was then I knew, that no matter how aggressive, violent the creature maybe, she had a heart."

Hermione looked up from her lap and stared intently at the magestic bird. Even then, she could see the sadness in its eyes as it moved away from Dumbledore. "A heart like that must be nurtured. Sealed its broken wounds. Healed," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, now gazing at Hermione.

Hermione looked down once again at her lap and closed her eyes. "Is this why you brought me to your office, Professor?" she asked.

Before Dumbledore could reply, the door opened and in came Professor Snape with his same determined demeanor. "Headmaster?" he spoke solely to Dumbledore, as if Hermione weren't even in the room. "Yes, Professor?"

"If I may speak to you privately, for a moment," Snape finally looked glanced at Hermione, "Alone."

"Yes, of course. If you'll excuse me, Ms. Granger. We must do this again some time," Dumbledore finished. Hermione stood to leave, gave a small wave, and with a heavy sigh walked out of the room.

What was all that about?, she thought once she stepped off the stairwell. Why had Dumbledore called her to his office? Certainly it wasn't about a simple thing such as a bird. She wished he could have asked what he wanted her for before Snape intruded on their conversation. She focused intently on the conversatiion topic. At first glance, she would have never assumed that that creature was a monster. She read about Phoenix's and knew of their aggressive, volatile nature, but she never imagined they could be so extreme. But there was something else about that bird that drew her in. It was her eyes. Those deep, endless black as night eyes. They were beautiful. But at the same time they were sad, tragic even. Like it felt pain even at the memory of it. She wanted to make that sadness go away, wanted to bring it joy. Wanted to give it lo-

She stopped.

Stopped moving, stopped blinking, stopped breathing.

And then reality set in. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Dumbledore had given the entire student body an extra day to settle back in before they began their classes the following day. The other students had arrived back with happy smiles and cheerful attitudes, and Draco resented them for it. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the grin of their faces with his endless taunts and insults he could bestow. But lately he hadn't had the energy for that sort of thing.

Most of the days on break, Draco would spend the cold winter days outside until the cold air would make him completely numb. It helped settle the small tremors he felt emitting from his Dark Mark and just made him...forget. At nights, when he couldn't sleep, he'd go to the Room of Requirement and work on the Vanishing Cabinet, which he had been making progress on. The Cabinet could now transport objects, but only in fragments. It was his job to get it to work, so more time would be needed to completely repair it.

For the rest of the day, Draco spent his time walking around the grounds of Hogwarts with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. He'd often spend his time either by the lake, or in the Dark Forest. The Forest wasn't completely terrible, especially during the day. The thick snow draping over the forest would give the place a more friendlier appeal and didn't have as many creatures lurking about.

As he made his way over to the Forest, he couldn't help but feel like someone was watching him. He turned around curiously, but found no one there. He continued walking and thought he heard more than his footsteps. He turned around again but couldn't find anyone.

"Who's there?" he called out, but nothing but eerie silence followed. He pulled his wand out and muttered, "Serpensortia," releasing a green slithering snake from the tip of his wand. It seemed to be moving towards something, but whatever it was looking at hadn't budged. It continued slithering until it started looking up at something in front of it. The snake moved into its attack pose and before it could attack, a single wand appeared out of nowhere, along with a familiar voice, "Finite Incantatum."

The snake seemed to vanish along with the wand. "Come out, Granger. I know you're there," he notified. Hermione came out from under the cloak with an annoyed expression. She said, "Back to Granger again?"

"You shouldn't be here," Draco stated, ignoring her question.

"Relax, Draco. I came to warn you. Harry's on to you, he thinks your working for Voldemmort."

"Huh. And here I thought you would've told him by now. What ever happened to being Potter's little pet?"

"Enough with the games, Draco. You think you can throw a few hurtful words in my face and make me disappear forever. Well, it's not going to work."

"Then save me the trouble of forcing you to go away. Just leave." Draco turned away from her and continued on his path into the Forbidden Forest. But of course, she had to follow him. They walked in silence, Draco just a few feet ahead of her, but did nothing to stop her. They walked until they reached the middle of the forest, where the trees became overcrowded with oversized roots in their path.

"You're never going to just leave things the way they are, are you?" he asked, his back still turned to her.

"Never." Draco scoffed at her one word statement and turned around halfway to meet her meaningful gaze. Hermione never failed to drive him a little more closer to insanity each and every day. "What do you want from me, Hermione?" The question was just so vague. There was just about a million things she wanted from him, but knew that he was incapable of delivering just about all of them.

"So many people have brought you down, and taken from you everything you ever wanted. You shouldn't be asking me that question, Draco, because maybe it's time for someone to ask you." She took two steps forward, and gazed directly into his eyes. "Tell me what you want, Draco."

"Even if I told you, I wouldn't deserve any of it."

"Maybe Draco Malfoy, the Deatheater, doesn't deserve it. But Draco Malfoy, the person..." she breathed out, taking his hand, "deserves everything." This was who Hermione Granger was. She was a person who can see so much more than a mean school bully, or a Deatheater. She saw Draco for what he truly was, and knew that he deserved happiness in his life. She sought a greater purpose within Draco, and found it. Draco always thought of her as a witch who did nothing but pry into others lives and demanded to know every single fact about the world around her, but she was so much more. He always thought he could never deserve someone like her. And here she was, telling him he deserved everything he ever wanted.

But the truth was, all he ever wanted was her.

And that was the deciding factor that made his lips meet hers. She kissed back with equal intensity and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely, and let his arm wrap around her waist.

They pulled away and let their foreheads press together, locking eyes. He'd be sacrificing everything to make them work, and Hermione would definitely be worth it. But how can you make something cooperate, when the world around you has absolutely no stability?

"It's not going to work, you know. Us. It's not going to last," Draco pointed out.

"You won't be hearing this from me anytime soon, but, right now, I _really_ don't care," she replied and kissed him again.

**A/N: Okay, I just want to explain a few things here just in case I wasn't exactly clear enough. Draco has really strong feelings for Hermione. He's felt this way since about third or fourth year. And with Hermione, she knows she has some feelings for Draco, but hasn't totally given up on Ron. She knows that what Draco needs in his life right now, is some sort of happiness, something which he hadn't gotten before. I don't want to say she pities him because that just sounds terrible, but what she wants right now is for Draco to be happy, which is what he rightfully deserves according to her.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Song of the Chapter: When You Look Me In The Eyes by Jonas Brothers**

Draco hadn't talked much to Hermione after that kiss in the forest. In fact, he was _avoiding_ her. It wasn't that he didn't want to be near her, it was that being together was far more complicated than it seemed to her. He wasn't going to tell her what he had to do at the end of the school year, and he wanted to keep it that way until she found out on her own.

But Hermione was making it too bloody hard to not look at. She'd give him small glances and the slightest of smiles in the hallway, which drove him absolutely crazy. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did deserve a little happiness in his screwed up world. But his world was too complicated to let her in, and that was why he avoided her.

As Draco made his way out of the Great Hall, he caught Hermione's brief glare of annoyance. She knew that he was avoiding her and getting those glares weren't exactly uncommon at this point. He followed close behind her, Potter, and Weasley, and walked quietly behind them to their Potions class. What annoyed Draco more were the obvious longing looks Weasley was giving her, but thankfully were not returned.

In their Potions class, Slughorn had already set up a boiling cauldron of a shimmering liquid on one of the lab tables.

"Hello class," Slughorn greeted the first students to appear at the door, "Just set your things at your tables and join me around the desk here." Draco set down his books at his table and stood next to the other Slytherins in the corner of the room, waiting for their instructions. Hermione stood a few feet away from him, giving him a small side glance.

"Alright class, today we will be studying the potion, _Amortentia_. Can anyone tell me what exactly is Amortentia?" Slughorn asked. Hermione's hand shot up and was called upon. "Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell..."

Draco looked up in curiosity. "...grass...new parchment, and...a..." Hermione backed away abruptly from the cauldron and stood back next to the rest of the Gryffindors. This time, she didn't look back at him.

"Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room," Slughorn stated. He closed the cauldron with the cover and proceeded with the next subject of the lesson.

But Draco wasn't paying attention to him, because his eyes were drawn to Hermione, his mind fixed on that cauldron. After Slughorn's speech on the effects of the potion, the class was dismissed with the assignment of writing and essay on the very same potion, which Draco wasn't planning on doing anyway.

Just after the rest of the class left, and Slughorn retreated to his office, Draco carried his things over to the smoking cauldron and set them down next to it. Curiously, he lifted the cover and let the overwhelming scent hit his nostrils with full force. He didn't know what to expect when he smelt it, but the familiar scent of Hermione's perfume overwhelmed his senses. He also found the faint smell of grass she had referred to.

It bothered him to no end how much that potion smelled like her. It only made him want to see her more, which was exactly what she wanted. He told himself he couldn't or wouldn't. But that's the thing about her, she had a way of drawing you in and making you want her more, and at the same time drive you absolutely fucking crazy.

* * *

_"I'm not giving you my jacket, if that's what you're hoping for," he taunted. It was then that she shivered slightly, closing her mouth tightly so her teeth didn't chatter. With a defeated sigh, he unwrapped his scarf and handed it to her. And with his wand he muttered a heating charm around the two of them, immediately warming her up. She wrapped the scarf around her neck comfortably._

_"Thanks," she said shyly. The pair slid down against the wall and sat on the stone floor. He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Don't mention it."_

His scarf.

That's what it smelt like.

She faintly recalled what it smelt like when he gave it to her that night a long time ago. It had the strong but subtle scent of cologne, that had become so familiar to her. She hadn't said cologne during class, otherwise giving Draco an opportunity to mock her.

_Ugh Draco_, she thought. He had been avoiding her ever since they kissed the day after she returned. She knew why, it was because he didn't want to start anything he couldn't stop. Hermione understood this, but didn't want to completely cut him off from her life. He needed her, and she wasn't prepared to let him go just yet.

That night, Hermione snuck out of the Gryffindor tower and made her way back to the Astronomy Tower, hoping to run into him there. But when she peered into the room, he was no where to be seen. Of course, he wouldn't show up to the Tower anymore, now that he knew she would be there. She slowly made her way to the balcony and breathed in deeply the cold winter air.

Just then, a person appeared walking on the ground below. She suddenly backed away from the balcony and hid behind the stone wall. No one was usually up at this hour except for the ghosts, so it was unusual for a person being out there. It was then she noticed the distinctive blond hair peeking out from his hood.

Was it really worth sneaking out of the castle and onto the grounds instead of giving up and going back to her dorm where she belonged?

Hermione didn't have much time to think about this as she quickly made her way out of the Tower and ignored all other options. She quietly walked through the halls, carefully avoiding Filch who was accompanied by Mrs. Norris. She rounded the corner and exited the castle. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she was out so late on castle grounds. The Dark Forest seemed more foreboding than usual, and the thin layer of snow on the ground made her simple walking shoes get soaked.

As she turned the corner past a few trees, she spotted Draco sitting on the ground and staring at the frozen lake before him. Hermione crept up behind him as sneakily as possible, but the snow below her drew more attention.

Draco abruptly turned around, but relaxed when he noticed it was just her. "Hermione?"

"Hi," she said shyly.

"How'd you know I was here?" Draco questioned.

"I saw you walking here from the Tower. You've been avoiding me so I just thought, you know...I could see you." Draco stayed silent as he watched her sit down next to him. "So now, you're following me too?" Draco asked, slightly annoyed.

"I wouldn't be following you if you at least bothered to talk to me or something."

"I don't have to tell you anything. It's not like we're...dating or anything..." he mumbled.

"We may not be dating, but we're certainly passed friends...don't you think?" Hermione awaited a response, but only received a shrug. She fell back against the snow covered ground, defeatedly. Draco looked at her curiously before also laying down next to her. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he finally said, "I've been busy and I wasn't sure what to say the next time I saw you."

"I understand," Hermione responded, plucking at the small patch of grass next to her. She was obviously still saddened, and she wasn't planning on him making it up to her any easier. Draco thought of the many ways to make her forgive him. He could cast a charm and give her flower, but that might be a bit cliché. Instead, he looked up at the sky, and saw yet again his constellation dusting the night sky.

"Do you remember a long time ago when you first came up to the Tower?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes, why?" she answered skeptically.

"When I first saw you, you were closing your eyes on the balcony-"

"And you thought I was going to jump. No, I remember."

Draco hid his smirk well and continued, "Well, I was just curious to know why."

Hermione sighed heavily and then pointed at something in the sky. "Have you ever seen a shooting star? You know, the ones that run across the sky and fade away?"

"I think so," Draco answered to the unfamiliar reference.

"Well, when I was younger, my Dad told me that when you see one, you can make a wish, and it will come true." Draco didn't respond, but thought to himself silently. "I know it sounds stupid-" Hermione started.

"No, it's not," Draco interrupted, "It's...strange, but not stupid." He glanced back to her and saw the small smile form on her face, he gave a small smile back before looking back up at the sky. "So, what were you wishing for?" he asked.

"I don't think I wished for anything at the time, considering I was so rudely interrupted," she playfully added, nudging him in the side. He grinned roguishly at her before asking, "Then what would you have wished for?"

"Well, at the time, I would probably have wished for Lavender Brown's hair to fall out..." she mumbled.

"And now?" She looked back at him to meet his curious gaze. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes bored into her own. She shifted slightly and moved closer, to which he allowed without hesitation. He let his head rest on hers lightly, letting her feel his warm breath on her cool skin. Just before his lips touched hers, she whispered, "Well I just can't think of anything right now," before letting his lips rest on hers.

His mouth moved gracefully against hers, as his hand gently pushed the back of her head forward to meet his. Her tongue traced the outline of his lips before he let her tongue enter his mouth to feel his own. They continued kissing, and this time, without having heavy thoughts at the back of their minds. Hermione leaned into the kiss and pushed him onto the ground. She slowly moved so she was on top as she started nipping at his neck lovingly.

"Hermione, wait," he suddenly interrupted.

"Hm?" Hermione muttered into her kisses.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this, so you can only imagine how good this must feel for me right now."

"Mmhm," she mumbled.

"But if you weren't planning on shagging me tonight, we should probably stop now before this gets out of hand." She suddenly stopped in her tracks, and lifted her head to meet his pleading gaze. She scoffed a little and then matched his desperate expression with a smirk.

"Do I _arouse_ you, Draco?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." She giggled before getting off of him and falling back against the snow. "And exactly how long have you waited?" she asked with a smirk.

"I'm not going to tell you," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Come on, Draco. Please," she begged with a bat of her eyelashes.

"Ugh, fine," he groaned in defeat, "Since...third year..." he mumbled.

"Since when?"

"Third year," he seethed out. Suddenly, Hermione let out a burst of laughter and could not hide it with a hand on her mouth. "Fine! Laugh all you want! See if I care!" Draco exclaimed, standing up and dusting the snow of his trousers. He had begun walking away before Hermione too got up and ran over to him. "Wait, Draco! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed."

"Damn right you shouldn't have," he seethed again, but his expression softened when he reached for his hand. "No, I think it's sweet," she commented, "I only laughed because that was the year that I...you know..."

"Slapped me?"

"Yes," she replied, blushing.

"Oh yeah, I remember that. It hurt, you know. I think I was scarred for life..." he said sarcastically. She kissed his cheek softly and replied, "I'm sorry. But in my defense, you were rather mean."

"It's what I do best," he gloated sarcastically. She laughed again as they slowly made their way back up to the castle. Draco held her hand firmly in his own as she rested her head on his arm.

It was only when they reached the castle entrance when many thoughts had begun to settle in. It was the first time that they had acted like themselves, and what they wanted. It was the first time they hadn't thought about the consequences of their relationship. It was comforting to forget, but it would always be limited. And only Hermione's lips on his made him forget about it all.

She kissed his lips softly before whispering, "See you tomorrow, Draco," and retreating to her dormitory. Draco smiled at her retreating form before turning away towards the Slytherin dormitories.

But just when he rounded a corner, who he saw standing there drew him back into his reality.

Dumbledore.

He made eye contact with him, gave him a knowing smiling and turned away wordlessly. And before he rounded the corner, he called out, "Trust Ollivander to be a good judge of character," and left him to his thoughts once again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Song of the Chapter: Daylight by Maroon 5**

Hermione Granger was going to kill Cormac McLaggen. Painfully.

During a Quidditch match, he had swung at Harry's head with the Beater's bat and cracked his skull. Hermione nervously held Harry's hand as she waited for him to wake up. Madame Pomfrey mended his skull, thankfully, but still had to bandage the top half of his head. And now, her, Ron, and Ginny nervously waited for him to wake up.

They did the same thing for Ron when he was in the Hospital Wing just a few days earlier from being poisoned. It was at the same time, while holding Ron's hand, when she realized how much she really loved him. But at the same time, it wasn't the love she had felt just a few months before. No, this love was special, because it was love for a friend. And the feeling of having that, it made her accept that they will always be friends, and she would be just fine with that.

Just then, Harry shifted slightly in his bed. Hermione turned excitedly to her other friends and looked back at Harry, who's eyes had begun to open. "He's waking up," Ron mumbled next to him.

"Ugh, my head," Harry moaned, "What happened?"

"You took a bat to the head during the match, and your skull cracked," Ron explained, "Bloody wanker, Cormac. Tried to show up Jimmy Peakes at his own game, ended up taking his bat and knocking you off your broom."

"Well, at least this was only temporary," Harry tried to say as politely as possible, "He got detention, right?" They all laughed a little before a few more people appeared from behind the curtain. "Oy, look everyone, he's awake!" Seamus Finnigan exclaimed. A crowd of Gryffindors had all started chattering about around Harry. Hermione, giving Harry an apologetic look, gave him a quick goodbye and exited the crowded curtain.

She made her way around the crowd and out the door. She felt happy knowing that Harry was okay, but dreadfully sorry that he had to deal with all those Gryffindors. She smiled regardlessly and turned the corner towards her common room. But just then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A door had appeared out of nowhere, on the wall that was usually bare.

Hermione moved towards the door curiously before it opened a crack, and then came the head of Draco exiting out of it. The door again disappeared before her eyes, as Draco walked away mysteriously.

What was Draco doing in the Room of Requirement? She had heard that the room was now used for storage. Curiously she followed Draco's path into the next hall. She saw him sit down on the bench in the courtyard and rest his head against the stone wall. Checking if no students were about, she made her way over to him and sat down on the bench.

"Hey stranger," she greeted. Draco jumped in surprise but relaxed when he saw her. "I didn't see you there," he said.

"I just got back from the Hospital Wing," she explained.

"Yeah, I heard Potter got knocked off his broom or something," he scoffed, "Wouldn't have been the first time."

She nudged him in the side and added, "Hey, Harry's a great Quidditch player. Cormac just wasn't watching where he hit, is all."

"Cormac is an idiot who can't play if his life depended on it. You Gryffindors were better off not having a Keeper at all. And losing to Hufflepuff? Pfft, pitiful."

"Yeah, it was pretty strange watching Hufflepuff cheer at the end of the match, but our team won't let it happen again." Hermione smiled and stared into her lap. Draco looked both ways before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Hermione leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You really should come back to Quidditch, Draco. Someone needs to put Hufflepuff back in their place," Hermione commented.

"You know I can't," Draco said sadly. Hermione looked at him questioningly before he gave her a knowing look. "Oh," she stated, "But that shouldn't really stop you from playing, right?"

"It already has." Hermione immediately saw the look of sorrow on his face. Draco really did seem to miss Quidditch, but she guessed that his new "lifestyle" might prevent him from doing things he might want. Hermione lightly took his chin and brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," she apologized.

"It's fine."

Hermione decided to change the subject by asking, "So, did you do your Potions assignment yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Well it's due on Monday," she mentioned.

Draco stayed silent until Hermione added, "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't it start it either?" The look of mock shock on Draco's face caused her to giggle. "Hermione Granger, legendary Gryffindor, bookworm and scholar, didn't do her Potions assignment, which is due in two days? The birds must have stopped flying as well..." Draco mocked.

"Ha, don't make fun. I was going to do it tonight in the library." Draco nodded and Hermione continued, "Would you like to join me?"

"I don't really do work, anymore..." Draco explained, noting Hermione's immediate disappointment, "But I guess I could do the work. Just this once."

Hermione suddenly smiled and hugged him, "Thank you! So I'll see you tonight!" She stood up and skipped away. _That witch, she tricked me_, he thought. Another thing about Hermione, she can really, _really_, get under your skin.

* * *

Draco calmly walked to the library, with books in hand. It wasn't the first time he had ever secretly went to see Hermione, but this time was different. He didn't like to say the word but...she was kind of his...girlfriend now. They saw each other more frequently and kissed on several occasions.

_Oh bloody hell, I sound like a girl_, he thought.

As he walked, he couldn't help but get the eerie feeling he was being watched. It might just be the paintings, but he could have sworn he felt someone behind him. He turned around abruptly and thought of casting the snake spell again, but thought against it. Hermione was probably waiting for him and he didn't want to be late.

_Oh yes, Hermione is definitely turning me into a girl._

Entering the library, he made his way over to the desk her and the rest of the Trio sat at. The same place where he had left her that note earlier in the year. And as expected, she sat there among her piles of books and parchments. "Of course, we'd be the only ones here on a Saturday night," Draco announced himself.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Hello to you too, Draco." As he sat down, he sarcastically commented, "Wow, I must be the first person to infiltrate the Golden Trio's place of hiding."

"That is true, you are the lucky one," she mocked and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips, "So, I've already started my first few paragraphs. I thought that these books might help." She pushed her pile of books towards him, while Draco examined the covers. The essay was on the Amortentia potion they had seen the other day. "And before you ask, no I will not do your essay for you," Hermione mentioned.

"I bet you get that a lot."

"Like you wouldn't believe," she joked.

"I'll be fine. In case you haven't noticed, I am second in our class," Draco gloated.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Don't sound too surprised, Hermione."

"I thought you said you don't really _do_ work anymore."

"Well," Draco thought aloud, "Not anymore, but at one point I did!" he pointed out. Hermione giggled and went back to her work while Draco opened up _Magical Drafts and Potions_. The two worked in comfortable silence on their essays for the majority of the night. It was during this time that Draco could secretly watch her work. Whenever she was in deep thought, her eyebrows would furrow and whenever she was skeptical about something, she'd bite with her lips at the end of her quill. Whenever she got frustrated, she'd but her hair up in a ponytail, and then later remove the elastic band. It was quite nice just being with her in such a calm setting.

But there was always the thought at the back of his mind which kept him grounded. He constantly thought about how long this would last before she went back to hating him again. He didn't want to have to face her when she would find out that he has to kill him. It practically pained him to be near her with that dreaded plan. It wasn't fair to her that she didn't know, and it wasn't fair to himself to develop more feelings for her each passing day.

But, then again, this is what she wanted. She told him to follow what he believes and not think about his involvement with the Dark Lord. So, in a way, he was doing this for her. Or at least that's what he told himself from driving completely insane.

Just then, Hermione yawned, which broke his reverie. "We've been here a long time, haven't we?" she stated.

"Sort of," Draco agreed with nonchalance.

"We should probably stop here for the night. If you want, maybe we can do this again tomorrow," she suggested.

"Yeah, okay." Hermione stood and, with her wand, shelved all their books on the open shelves. Draco shook his hair with his hand and yawned tiredly. He hadn't realized just how tired he was, especially with all of what was on his mind. "You okay?" Hermione asked, sitting down on the table, facing him.

"Yeah, just tired. I haven't really stayed up this late just to do homework."

She reached for his hand and held it within her own, and said, "Thank you, for staying up with me."

"It's not like we haven't before," he pointed out, "But, your welcome." He stood up, took her chin in his hand, and drew her lips to his own. He kissed her gently and pulled her closer, savoring the feel of her against him.

Suddenly, a stack of books fell somewhere behind them, causing Draco to jump away from her. "What was that?" Hermione asked, "Is someone there?" Draco rounded the corner with his wand, only to find the fallen books. "Is anyone there?" he called out, but no reply.

"Do you think someone saw us?" Hermione asked, coming up to him from behind.

"No, I don't think so," he replied, whilst picking up the books. But Draco couldn't help but feel like the person that might have followed him was still around, and he/she might have seen them. He didn't want to worry Hermione, but if someone did see them together, he wouldn't be surprised to find the message being spread around Hogwarts like wildfire.

* * *

Harry laid sleeping in his bed in the Hospital Wing, with his head still tightly bandaged. But just then, POP. The loud sound of apparition echoed in the thankfully empty wing. Harry immediately woke up and was startled by the presence of two house-elves, Kreacher and Dobby.

"Dobby and Kreacher are terribly sorry for waking Harry Potter at this time bu-"

"Dobby? Kreacher? What are you doing here? Is it urgent?" Harry answered groggily.

Then the two house elves started talking at the same time, each muttering incoherent words. "Wait, what? One at a time. Dobby, whisper. Ugh," Harry groaned defeatedly. "Shhhh," Harry shushed, "Must you two talk so loud? Madame Pomfrey is in the next room and you guys can't be here."

"Oh no, Dobby has maddened Harry Potter..."

"No wait, Dobby, just, don't cry, ju- Dobby I didn't me- Ugh, never mind. Kreacher, what is it? I told you two to follow Malfoy. What'd he do?"

"Draco Malfoy is a filthy blood traitor, fraternizing with a mudblood. A pureblood like Mr. Malfoy should not be lowering himself to such filth."

"Wait what? That's what he's been doing? That's not important, Kreacher. Has he done anything suspicious?"

"Harry Potter doesn't understand," Dobby blubbered.

"What don't I understand?"

"Young Mr. Malfoy wasn't just kissing any muggleborn, Sir."

"So then who? Why is this important?"

"It was _the_ mudblood," Kreacher finally added, "The one you call, _friend_."


	12. Chapter 12

**Song of the Chapter: Almost is Never Enough by Ariana Grande feat. Nathan Sykes**

Harry Potter made his long way back to Gryffindor Tower from Hagrid's hut. He just retrieved the memory from Slughorn that Dumbledore desperately needed. He left Slughorn and Hagrid asleep, clutching their bottles for support, and drooling on Hagrid's bench. Harry clutched the small vile in his hand and decided to look at it the next morning in Dumbledore's office.

As Harry entered his common room, his eyes immediately found Ron and Hermione, who patiently awaited his arrival. "Harry! Where have you been? You've been gone for hours!" Hermione immediately exclaimed.

"I got the memory," Harry stated, holding up the vial for proof. Hermione and Ron smiled and let Harry explain exactly what he did. Before the adults got drunk, they were all burying Aragog, a departed friend of Hagrid, and had a few last departing words for them. "Now that I have this, I can take it to Dumbledore's pensieve and have a look," Harry mentioned.

The trio stayed in the common room for a few more minutes before Hermione let out a long yawn. "I'm quite tired, so I think I just might go to bed. Good night, guys," she said, and left the two boys alone.

"She's been tired an awful lot, lately. Did you notice? I mean, we'd usually stay up and stuff, but now all she does is go to sleep," Ron pointed out. Harry merely nodded his head as he waited for the soft click of her dormitory door. The door made a sound and he was able to relax once again. Harry knew exactly what she was up to, because of what Dobby and Kreacher had told him.

How could she betray them like this? Malfoy was a Deatheater, and Harry had a feeling he was up to something. And the fact that Hermione was spending time with him only sickened him. She was in danger, he was dangerous, and Harry could no longer be able to stand by and watch her break down again.

Ron and Harry eventually also went back to their dormitories. Harry waited until he heard Ron's loud snoring before grabbing his robe and leaving the dormitory. The common room was dark and quiet. The fireplace that was usually well lit was now put out. Harry sat quietly in the chair and waited. As expected, a soft click of a dormitory door opened, then closed. He heard gentle footsteps on the stairs and froze so that she would think no one was there.

To his own despair, it _was_ Hermione who was leaving her dorm. She was out of uniform with a light jacket, jeans and a small hat. Harry didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he had a feeling he knew where she was going.

"Ahem," Harry coughed, startling Hermione, with her wand drawn out immediately. "Oh Harry, it's just you. I, um-"

"It's kind of late, Hermione. What are you doing up?"

"I was, um, just- Going out for some fresh air. I couldn't sleep, so-"

"Oh, then I'll go with you! I can't sleep much nowadays so I might as well. Let me get my coat," Harry started.

"Um, I don't know Harry. What if the two of us get caught?"

"Hm, well maybe your right. Don't want to risk it, I suppose. Let's just hang out here in the common room!" Harry ushered Hermione to sit on the couch next to him. She sat down reluctantly with her hands in her lap. "So, what's going on with you, Mione? We never really talk about you, especially with all of what's been going on," Harry began.

"Nothing," Hermione stated.

"Oh come on. I don't believe that! How've you been feeling sinc-"

"I don't think I really want to talk right now, Harry. Maybe we should just go back to our dorms."

"Are you sure? I'm in no mood to sleep right no-"

"Good night, Harry," Hermione said uncomfortably before making her way back to the girls staircase. _Well say something!,_ Harry thought. Hermione was bound to do this again and he wasn't going to keep lying to Ron or anyone else for her. "I know, Hermione," Harry said sullenly. Hermione stopped in her tracks and stood frozen at the bottom of the staircase. "Know what, Harry?" she asked innocently.

"I know about you and Malfoy." Hermione turned around with a look of complete sorrow on her face, matching Harry's. "How'd you find out?" she asked.

"I asked Kreacher and Dobby to tail Malfoy. They saw you...kissing him." Small drops of tears peered out of the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry, I wanted to tell you bu-"

"Just tell me one thing," he demanded, "Do you know if he's a Deatheater? Did he tell you what he was up to?"

More tears started streaming down her face before she replied, "I know he's a Deatheater. I saw the Mark, but he won't tell me what he's up to."

"What were you thinking, Hermione? Getting involved with him?! You know he's up to something and he won't tell you! Doesn't that sound at all suspicious?!"

"It's not like that! He really likes me-"

"If he liked you, then he would tell you what's been going on!"

Hermione bravely held herself together and crossed her arms. "He may not tell me, but he still cares about me, I know it! His parents only made him a Deatheater because it was his obligation, not his choice! He doesn't even believe in blood prejudice anymore, he told me himself! He said he would do anything to get out of it, but he can't! He can't defy Voldemort, Harry. He's not like us!"

"He may tell you this, Hermione, but how do you know if any of it's true? How do you know he's not just manipulating you or taking advantage of you?!"

"He's not taking advantage of-"

"Then how do you know it's not rubbish?!"

"Because I see it!" she cried out. Hermione glanced around her to make sure she hadn't woken anyone before taking a few steps toward Harry. "I see something in him, Harry. He's not the same boy he was a few years ago! He's changed, and for the better! When he looks at me, I know that he's telling me the truth. Sure, maybe there are some things he keeps from me but it's not like I'm exactly telling him everything either! I don't tell him what you and I talk about it! I don't tell him about your lessons with Dumbledore. There are certain things that people must keep to themselves, and this is one of them."

"Bollocks," Harry cursed under his breath, "You're just saying that because he's not telling you something. You're justifying his actions when even _you_ know it's wrong. Don't try to make this situation look any better. Because in my opinion, whatever you and Malfoy have together, it will only hurt _you_ in the end. And this time, I'm not going to stand around and watch it fall to shit. Not this time." Harry moved away from her and back toward his staircase. He was through being the friend who watches his friend repeatedly crash and burn. He refused to be her shoulder to cry on because Malfoy wasn't worth her tears.

"Harry, please, wait."

He paused and responded, "What?"

"Just...tell me what you want me to do."

Harry turned around slowly but refused to look up at her. "End it. Before it gets out of hand," he solemnly replied before going back to his dorm.

* * *

"_Orchideous_," Draco whispered to his left hand. His wand touched his palm lightly before several long stems of red and gold Hibiscus flowers appeared in his hand. He'd seen the flower before in a photograph and it reminded him of Hermione. The vibrant red and the light metallic gold represented Gryffindor, and even though he preferred Slytherin Green, he knew she would love it.

Thinking that the several flowers might be too much, he separated one flower from the others and his the rest of the arrangement behind a pile of books. Just on time, he heard footsteps ascending the spiraling staircase of their Tower. He waited patiently with the flower behind his back and saw her appear from the archway. But Draco's happy moment was short-lived when he saw the look of utter despair on her face.

"Hermione? What happened?" he immediately reacted, walking towards her and examining her face. Her eyes were watery and red. She had obviously been crying and he hadn't seen her cry since those many nights ago when he had been the cause. She didn't respond until he took her chin gently in his hand and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Tell me what happened, Hermione," he demanded.

"Harry knows," she began, "About us." She muffled a sob with her hand as Draco wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close. They didn't want anyone to know because of what the rest of the school might think, but having Potter know was more like a death wish then embarrassment on his part. "How'd he find out?" he asked.

"He, um, saw us snogging in the library."

"Bollocks, I knew someone was following me," Draco muttered, "What else did he say?"

"He hates me," she cried into his chest.

"He doesn't hate you, Hermione. He's your closest friend." As much as it pained him to admit that, it was true. "He wants me to break up with you," she muttered.

"I expected that," Draco said sadly, "But Potter can't stop you from doing what you want."

"I know, it's just, how long will it take before he can forgive me?"

Draco kissed the top of her head, sighed, and said, "I don't know." Hermione continued to cry into his chest as Draco stood their holding her tight. Usually Harry would be the one to do this for her, but now the tables have turned, and Harry turned out to be the one to make her cry. "You shouldn't cry anymore, Hermione. He'll forgive you," Draco said soothingly.

"It's not just that."

"Then what else?" Hermione slowly pried herself away from Draco and his tear-stained shirt. "It was the other things he said," she continued.

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that you may not be completely honest with me."

Draco took a moment to absorb her words before he began to question, "What do you mean I may not be honest with you?"

"Well, for one thing, you haven't told me anything about what you _have to do_. You said it was something terribl-"

"I only said that to protect you, Hermione."

"But maybe I can help. If you were just honest with me then maybe we can find away to get you away fro-"

"I already told you there was no way out of what I have to do! And that once you find out you're only going to hate me."

"I can't hate you if you haven't done anything yet! So just tell me, Draco! Tell me so I don't have to feel like you're just never going to let me in! Tell me so I don't have to feel like you're just going to leave me in the end!" Draco faced away from her furiously. How could he tell her? He couldn't stand seeing her hate him again. He shouldn't have let it go on for too long. Who was he kidding? He was being selfish. He wanted what he couldn't have and was letting her take the consequences.

"You _are_ going to leave me in the end, aren't you?" It was the forbidden question. The unspoken question.

"I have no choice, Hermione. My world isn't like your own where we can pick and choose what we want out of life. And I was only selfish enough to step into your own and have a sense of freedom. But I was wrong, I can't escape it."

"So that was the plan then? Have a little fun before you step out of my life forever?! You _are_ selfish, Draco. And I was just too blind to notice it in the first place! Harry was right, I shouldn't have ever trusted you."

"And I told you that! Why do you think I was pushing you away in the beginning?! You said you didn't care. You told me that I deserved a little forbidden happiness in my world, but guess what? You're that forbidden happiness! You're everything I've ever wanted in my life, but at the same time you're everything I don't deserve! You're everything my world doesn't allow! We are forbidden to ever be together! _You_ _are_ my impossibility." And with that Draco pushed past Hermione, leaving the Tower.

He couldn't look at her. He wouldn't talk to her. She was nothing but a hypocrite, saying that things could work out when she knew deep down that it wouldn't. And the worst part of it all...

He actually believed her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Song of the Chapter: The One That Got Away by The Civil Wars**

The Great Hall was abrupt with the murmuring of the other Hogwarts students. Unfortunately, Ron was dragged away by Lavender, leaving just Harry alone to his thoughts eating breakfast. Later, he would be visiting Dumbledore to look at the memory he retrieved from Slughorn. But at that moment, Harry had other things on his mind.

He left Hermione that night in the common room, and he suspected that she left just after he did. It pained him to see her that way and not do anything about it. But he wasn't going to justify her actions, not this time. The only thing that concerned him was the fact that she hadn't shown up for breakfast._ What did Malfoy do to her? If he tried anything, I'm go-_

Just then, Hermione came walking down the rows of tables arms crossed. She bumped into a few of the students, but paid no mind to them. She took her seat on the bench across from Harry wordlessly, not sparing him a glance. "Hermione?" he called out, but with no response. She took her toast and started spreading the jam in an angry manner. "Hermione, I understand if you're mad at me but that doesn't mean you can't talk to me," he lectured.

She then took a book from her bookbag, opened it up, and started reading silently. "Did you go see him last night?" Harry asked. This time, she gave him one long glare before returning to her novel. "Hermione, please say something!" Harry begged.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She took one final look at her book before lifting her head to meet Harry's pleading gaze. "Yes, I did go see Draco last night," she began, "And you were right. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"You mean that he wasn't being honest with you?"

"Yes, he said he can't tell me what's going on."

"So, you ended things, right?" Harry assured, but then she turned silent once again. She merely stared downward and said absolutely nothing. "Hermione, you have to end it," Harry demanded, "He admitted that he was lying to you yet you stil-"

"It's not that simple, Harry!" she snapped.

"What's not simple about it?!"

"I can't just...leave him. He needs me," she explained.

"Oh really? Because the way I see it, maybe _you_ need him. What is it you see in the bloke, Hermione?! He's a Deatheater! He's not just some project you can work on until he gets better, because he won't! He's working for Voldemort and any day now I have a feeling we're about to see what he's really been up to!"

"How do you even know he's up to something?"

"Because- When I sent Kreacher and Dobby to tail him, they told me that he goes off a lot into the Room of Requirement. It would explain why he disappears all the time on the Marauder's Map. Has he told you anything about that?" Hermione shook her head.

"You see, Hermione! If he's not going to tell you what he's up to then he's not worth it! Malfoy's dangerous now, you can't stay with him."

"Harry Potter, you will not tell me what to do! You are not my father! You are not my family!" she cried out, but immediately brought her hand up to her mouth. Through her rant, she didn't realize what she had said until it was actually spoken. Harry had no family, both of his parents were dead and until recently his Godfather had died. And that was why he was so protective of her. Because she and along with the rest of the Weasleys, were the only family he had left.

Harry abruptly grabbed his robe, and exited the Great Hall furiously. "Harry, wait, stop! I didn't mean it! Harry!" Hermione cried out, drawing the attention of the rest of the student body. She had never meant to hurt him, it just came out of nowhere. Harry may not be a brother by blood, but he was like the only sibling she had. He was only watching out for her, and she betrayed him.

Hermione ran out of the Hall to catch up with him. She turned the corner and saw him stomping down the halls. "Harry, please! I didn't mean it!" she called out.

"Just leave me alone, Hermione!" Harry demanded. Hermione moved forward once more, but was stopped by two hands on her shoulders who grabbed her from behind. "Leave him, Hermione. He needs to be alone," the calm voice of Draco said to her. She turned around to meet his stern gaze before she grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him close.

Before Draco could wrap his arms around her, he spotted Weasley and his girlfriend at the end of the hall who looked suspiciously at the retreating Harry. Draco nudged her away and signaled her that he was there. She turned around to look back at Ron, and when she turned back around, Draco was gone.

* * *

Harry hadn't spoken to her for the rest of the day. Not during classes, not in the hallway, not during lunch. He had avoided her the entire day. And when Hermione returned to the common room, she spotted Harry and Ron talking softly about something, but turned their backs towards her. She should have known he would have told Ron by now, thus turning even him against her.

She didn't seen Draco the rest of the day either, it looked like he had skipped almost all of his classes. He could be avoiding her, but he could also be up to something in the Room of Requirement. But at that moment, she didn't want to see anyone. No one could help her situation because the only people who were in on her secret were either avoiding her or was nowhere to be found.

Now Hermione laid awake in her bed, with her eyes locked on the night sky outside her window. She could always go to the Tower, but decided that maybe she should leave Draco alone too. Everyone just needed time, and maybe that's what Hermione needed too.

* * *

For the first time, in a long time, Hermione Granger did not go to a Gryffindor Quidditch match. She decided to stay in that day. And just like the night before, she sat on her bed, staring out her window. What else could she do? The trees swayed freely against the wind, even the Whomping willow moved gracefully. She wasn't sure how long she sat their exactly, but she was sure it had been a couple of hours. She saw other students make their way over to the Quidditch pitch to get good seats. Today was the final match of the year, and she knew that Gryiffindor would do just fine. It's not like she liked Quidditch that much anyway.

Suddenly, the door to her dorm room flew open. She spun around to find Harry, in his Quidditch uniform. "Harry? What are you doing here? Today's the gam-"

"Hermione, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it! I had no idea what the sp-"

"Wait, Harry, why are you apologizing? I should be the one to apo-"

"Now's not the time, Hermione! You have to come quick!"

"Why what's wrong?!"

"I did something," Harry gulped, "terrible." Hermione ran up to him and hugged her panicking friend. Just then, she felt something wet and sticky cling to her shirt from Harry's. She looked down and touched his shirt.

It was dry blood.

"Harry! You're bleeding!"

"It's not...mine," he replied sullenly. She lifted her head slowly to meet his sad gaze, and said, "Harry, what have you done?"

* * *

_This is surreal. _

_This is like a dream._

_Like a nightmare._

Harry cursed Draco. With an unknown spell. And whatever that spell had caused him to almost bleed out and die. And now, as Hermione ran down the hallways towards the Hospital wing. All she could think about was Draco.

She opened the doors to the Hospital wing and saw Madam Pomfrey, leaning over a blond head. She ran up to the bed to find Draco asleep, with his entire chest covered in white bandages. Hermione muffled a sob with her hand as she sat on the next bed and watched Madam Pomfrey continue to bandage his entire upper body.

She told Harry many times that that book was no good. She knew it contained dark magic, and look where that brought them. Harry walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder as they both watched him. "Is he going to be alright?" Hermione struggled to say.

"Well the spell lashed him twice in the chest, but thankfully Professor Snape was there at the right time. I've applied the dittany to prevent scarring, but no promises that their will be small scars," Madam Pomfrey explained, giving Harry a foul glance.

"Don't you have detention right now, Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey spat at Harry. Harry nodded his head and gave a parting look to Hermione, before leaving the Hospital Wing. "Serves him right for using such Dark Magic," Pomfrey muttered. Hermione stayed silent as she scanned Draco's body. Whatever that spell did, must have left a rather large mark. She noticed small bandaging on Draco's left forearm, where the Dark Mark should have been.

"What happened to his arm?" she asked.

"Oh, I didn't wrap that arm up. When I bandaged him he already had that on," she replied. Hermione nodded and stared down at his arm. Draco must have wrapped it up so that he didn't have to look at it, and she didn't blame him.

Madame Pomfrey noticed her sad gaze and summoned a chair for her in the corner of the room. Hermione gave a thankful glance and proceeded to sit down in the chair and pull up closer to him. She wanted to touch him. To pull him closer and never let him go. She didn't think that being so close to losing him would hurt her so much, but in fact it did. It hurt a lot worse than when Ron was also in the hospital wing for being poisoned. She never realized just how much Draco Malfoy actually meant to her.

And that fact that one day he was going to leave her, broke her heart into more pieces than there was to start.

Hermione sat there for the rest of the day. Not caring if anyone would walk in at any moment. Right now, all she wanted to do was be next to him. And by the time she decided to look up from his sleeping body, there was already a sunset outside the window. The rest of the Hospital Wing was barren, with no Madame Pomfrey to guard the beds.

It was then that Hermione took his hand within hers and sighed heavily. But just then, she heard Madame Pomfrey's voice behind her. "Young love," she sighed in a dreamy tone, "I know it when I see it." Hermione said nothing but still kept her hand locked within his.

Pomfrey sat down on the bed opposite her and gave her a sympathetic look. "I recall a time many years ago when _he_ did the very same thing," she mentioned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know if you recall, but during the time when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, you were in this very same place, except petrified. And every night, Mr. Malfoy would come here and talk to you like you were awake. Of course, I never said anything. Other times though he would stay rather quiet, and hold your hand, just like you're doing now. Surely, he told you."

Hermione's eyes widened in shocked. Had Draco really done that? "There must be some mistake. He wouldn't have done that," Hermione explained, "We weren't exactly friends during that time."

Madame Pomfrey gave a soft smile before replying, "Well, you may not have been friends. But I've never seen such a cruel boy act so different, especially around you." Hermione tried to think of something to say, but couldn't find the words. "And what exactly did he talk about?" Hermione asked desperately.

The old lady smiled again and replied, "That's for you and Mr. Malfoy to talk about," before standing up and walking away.

"Last one out, turns out the lights," she announced before walking out the door.


	14. Chapter 14

**Song of The Chapter: Gravity by Sara Bareilles**

The next morning, Draco awoke to the sound of soft snores occurring from his left side. Hermione fell asleep resting on his arm, her hand intertwined with his own. Draco sighed in contentment at his dream, but soon realized it wasn't a dream at all. He remembered where he last was. He remembered dueling with Potter before he cursed him. A searing pain occurred within his chest, and then he collapsed. That was the last thing he remembered.

Now he was in the Hospital Wing, and it looks like Hermione might have spent the night next to him. "Hermione," he whispered, nudging her, "Wake up." She arose quickly with a look of complete bewilderment. "Relax, Hermione. It's me," he announced.

"Oh, I must have spent the night," she yawned, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore but better. You didn't have to stay," he started.

"I wanted to." Draco shifted to sit up a little, but winced at the pain from his stomach. "Ugh, what the hell did Potter do to me?" he complained.

"I don't know, it was dark magic."

"Ugh, then throw him a hex for me, will you?"

Hermione smiled and replied, "I might." Draco laid back down defeated, still wincing from the pain. "I need to talk to you about something."

"I told you I'm not telling you anything," he started.

"It's not that," she began, "Last night, Madame Pomfrey told me something about you. She said that you used to visit me, when I was in the Hospital Wing, second year."

Draco gave a stern expression and breathed in through his nose. "Is that true?" she asked.

"If I said yes, what would you ask next?"

"I would ask why-"

"Then, no. No, it is not true," he said sternly.

"Stop hiding things from me, Draco. You can tell me anything!"

"You're much easier to talk to when you're petrified," he added jokingly.

"I'm serious," she reassured. Draco gave her a sympathetic gaze before finally adding, "I'd talk to you about anything. Anything and everything. I know it sounds vague, but it's exactly what it was. My family, my friends, my beliefs, even you."

"If you talk to me again, then maybe I can actually help you, Draco," she offered.

"You won't be able to help, besides I'm not worth your time," Draco stated. Hermione took his hand once more and cupped it gently, before saying, "You're worth every minute of it."

* * *

Draco never talked about himself. To anyone. But what made Hermione Granger different...he never understood. Instead, he sat there in his hospital bed and told her everything, beginning with his family. He told her how being raised by pureblood aristocrats make you believe that you are something better, which made himself all the worse. He talked about how he used to see the world differently, and that muggles and muggleborns were not cut out for the Wizarding World.

He told her about how jealous he would get whenever she would beat him at anything. Exams, grades, and all other things involving school. It frustrated him to see her as such a nice person, while his parents always said that muggleborns were inferior. It confused him, which was why he picked on her in particular so much.

And then he told her about third year, when he followed her by the Whomping Willow. She was certainly surprised by it, and that she didn't see him. He told her how he was the one to send Snape into the tree to get to them. He asked her what had happened afterwards, but she didn't tell him that.

Then in Fourth year, he told her how jealous he got when he saw her at the Yule Ball with Krum. He said he would've given anything to just have one dance with her. And later that year, what really surprised her was when he went to Dumbledore to complain about the Tri-Wizard challenge she was in, and how Dumbledore later figured out that he liked her.

Then he explained how things started to change at home, and how his Father began talking to him more about the Dark arts. He regretted ever getting involved with Dark magic, but at the time, he could not say no to his Father. He then explained how he would always keep a watchful eye on her, to make sure she was safe.

He even got a little mad when he questioned her on going into the Department of Mysteries and getting caught in a duel with several Deatheaters. He wanted to be there to protect her, but that's when he realized that maybe being with her is truly impossible. Later that year he would become a Deatheater, and seeing her would only put her in danger. That's why he couldn't be with her. That's why she was his impossibility.

When Draco finished, Hermione could do nothing but stare into her lap. Everything he said had shocked her to the very core. No wonder why he didn't want her to get involved with him. And this whole time, he had been a big part of her life, that she was never aware of.

She held his hand and with a long loving look, said, "We are the most_ perfect_ impossibility, aren't we?"

"Absolutely."

"And this thing that you're doing now, your mission, it's going to change everything, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Hermione wiped a tear out of the corner of her eyes and asked, "And when can I ever see you again?"

"You won't."

"Oh God," she sobbed, "It's really happening."

"Yes it is. Which is why this is the last time you'll be seeing me," he said sadly. She looked up at him with more tears in her eyes. The truth hurt, but understanding it was so much more painful. She wasn't going to fight, she wasn't going to argue. She was going to let this happen, because there was no way around it.

She stood up slowly, holding onto the bed for support. Tears fell down her face and onto the white bandages on his chest. And with one final bruising kiss, Hermione slowly muttered, "I love you," and backed away from his bed. She gave him one final look before turning away, muffling a sob with her sleeve, and finally left Draco to fight his battle alone.

* * *

Hermione slowly made her way back to Gryffindor tower. She wrapped her arms around herself as an attempt to hold her broken soul together. Not Ron, not Cormac, not Viktor, and not even Harry could have hurt her more than she already was. She had just professed her love for Draco to him, and walked out on his life as if it meant absolutely nothing. She didn't care if he didn't feel the same way, she just wanted to leave him with something to remember her by.

And now all she had to do was wait anxiously for whatever Draco was about to attempt. And whatever it was, was going to change everything. Whatever it was, was going to take him away from her forever.

At times like these, you can't have faith. You can't have hope that things would get better, because in reality they won't. You can't wish on a stupid shooting star and expect everything to be okay again. You can't expect to find some answer to the world around you, because it won't get any better. The only thing you can say to make yourself feel any better, is that it can't get any worse.

Hermione looked up to find that she hadn't walked to the Gryffindor Tower like she thought. Subconsciously, she had walked straight to their Tower. She clutched her shoulders tightly and proceeded up the stairs.

The Tower had a beautiful orange glow to it, with morning sun threading itself into the room. She walked forward towards the railing and breathed in deeply. The air smelt grassy and natural. It was like freedom.

As she backed away from the balcony, something caught her eye. Hidden behind a stack of books, were stems. Hermione stepped forward and pulled out the stems to reveal the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. It suddenly occurred to her that that night she came up here, Draco was holding a flower just like these.

The flowers were beautifully colored, with the inside as a vibrant red and eventually fading into a dusty gold. Everything about them spoke pure Gryffindor, which was probably why he brought them for her.

"Nice flowers," a voice interrupted her thoughts from behind. She turned around to find Harry, standing at the top of the staircase. "Thank you," she said.

"Do I have to guess who they're from?"

"If you did, you'd probably be right," she stated, "How'd you know I was here?" Harry pulled from his back pocket the Marauder's Map and gave her a knowing look. Hermione moved back to the balcony, and leaned against the railing with flowers in hand. Harry followed her and stood against the balcony fence.

"I'm really sorry, Hermione."

"No, you don't have to be sorry, Harry. I should be the one apologizing," she started, "For the way I've been betraying you."

"You can never betray me. I understand I can't always be around to protect you, I shouldn't have been so involved."

"It's not your fault, Harry. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for being involved. And if anything, you are my family, Harry. You're like my brother. And I love you for that."

"I love you too, Hermione." Harry pulled her in for a hug which she gladly took. Harry was right, they were family, and family sticks together no matter what. Whatever was about to happen to them, she would make sure to always stay by his side, like he always has for her. As he pulled away, he reached for something in his pocket. "And that's why, I'm giving you this," he stated, handing her a small vial of a clear liquid she immediately recognized as Felix Felicis.

He continued, "When Dumbledore and I looked at Slughorn's memory, Slughorn had given Voldemort all he needed to know on Horcruxes. He said that it was like a person ripping parts of their soul apart and putting them in some sort of object. Dumbledore believes that Voldemort made six and he wants me to help him find one."

"And what's the liquid luck for?"

"I didn't want to bring this up too soon, but I believe Malfoy is going to try something tonight, and whatever it is, is-"

"-going to change everything," Hermione chanted slowly. That's exactly what Draco had said, and whatever it was, was going to happen sooner than she thought.

"Yes, I want you and Ron to use it, in case of an emergency while I'm gone."

"Wait- So you think we're going to be attacked?"

"It is a possibility, but yes." Harry hugged her once more and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek before saying, "I have to go now. Dumbledore wants me to meet him in his office so we can apparate there. Just- promise me you will be safe."

"I promise," Hermione reassured, "And you be safe too."

"I promise," Harry said before leaving her in the Tower.


	15. Chapter 15

**Song of the Chapter: Mirrors by Justin Timberlake**

The Room of Requirement was eerily quiet as Draco Malfoy stood silently in front of the Vanishing Cabinet. He had already sent a letter to his Father, notifying him that the task was complete. Now, all he had to do was wait for their arrival, however long that may take. Today was the day that he would take the final step, and finally kill Dumbledore.

_It's just a spell,_ he thought, _just say it quick and it will be over soon._

But how could he kill him? Especially with all the kindnesses Dumbledore had bestowed upon him. The man had done so much for everyone, and now it was Draco's turn to end it all. And what made things worse was that...she had no idea what was about to happen. Hermione loved this man like a Father, and how could Draco take him away from her?

Draco kicked the nearest object next to him in frustration, causing a goblet to fall from above and onto his foot. He clenched his foot in pain and muttered, "Bollocks," before hurdling the goblet across the room. Just then, he heard a CRASH, and the sound of many fallen objects hitting the ground. Draco winced and proceeded to find the source of the noise.

He threw the goblet so hard it hit a small chest piled high with books and other treasures. As he picked up the items, he noticed something in the far corner of the room. He placed the books on the chest and went over to the object covered by a cloak.

He tossed aside the cloak to reveal a mirror. It had an intricate gold frame and had a thick layer of dust atop the glass. It had an inscription arching the top which read: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_. Draco had no idea what it meant and had no desire to know, for his eyes were drawn to the mirror.

He could have sworn that for a mere moment, he saw someone other than himself within. _That's not possible,_ Draco thought. He touched the glass carefully, his fingers collecting the dust. He laid his hand on top and let the mirror reflect him, but it didn't. The hand that laid on top of the glass was not the same as his reflection. It was a feminine hand.

He looked up to stare directly in the face of Hermione Granger.

He backed away abruptly at her image, but softened when he saw her. She looked so happy, which he hadn't seen for a while. Her brown eyes were kind, and contained no anger and no sadness. Her small smile graced her lips so perfectly, which Draco mimicked. His hand went back to the glass, which Hermione mirrored. If only it were the real thing, and the hand he saw in the glass was really there. Then he noticed something. Upon her left hand.

It was a ring.

Mirror Hermione noticed this and showed him. The ring had two bands, wrapped around her dainty finger. One band had a vine wrapped around it, while the other band was sleek with a darkened handle. The bands appeared to be wands. And what laid perfectly in the middle was a crystal clear diamond. Everything about the ring spoke for what was buried deep in his heart.

He loved her. And she loved him. They needed each other.

Could this mirror predict the future? Does that mean that they will be together in the end? Draco anxiously pulled out his wand and muttered, "_Vorto_." The letters above the mirror had begun to rearrange themselves to translate to: _I show not your face but your hearts desire._

Draco sighed and put away his wand. Of course, that was what he knew all along. But it was the sudden burst of hope that they were meant for each other that made him feel so happy and relieved. Mirror Hermione noticed his sad expression and rested her head upon his reflection shoulder in the comforting way he had grown to love. Just because she was his heart's desire, did not mean it could ever amount to anything.

Suddenly, he heard a door open just a few feet away from him, and the shuffling of people exiting the Cabinet. He took one nervous breath and gave one longing gaze to Mirror Hermione before walking sullenly away. Mirror Hermione reached out for him, but couldn't stop him as the Deatheaters pushed him forward and forced him out of the Room of Requirement.

* * *

"Let's move, the Dark Lord wants to see him finished," a Deatheater said, shoving Draco forward.

Draco's eyes frantically scanned each corridor as he saw the invading Deatheaters infiltrate the halls. They were like water in a stream, going through everything, and leaving nothing vacant. He watched helplessly as curses and hexes were flung at fellow students and professors. He saw the look in their eyes as they made eye contact with him, and saw the betrayal.

He wanted to get to her, wherever she may be. At this point, nowhere would be safe in the entire school and the best chance Hermione had was to fight back with every ounce of power he knew she had.

As Draco paced up the stairs, followed by several other Deatheaters, he couldn't help but think back to the time when he first saw her here. This was the place where it all started then, and now this would be the place where it all ends. The group whipped out their wands at the top of the staircase and pointed it at Dumbledore, who stood bravely against the moonlight with his back away from them.

Draco nervously gripped his wand at what he was about to do. Dumbledore turned around to meet his sad gaze. "I see you have let them in, Draco," he said sullenly, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"No, I do. To please the Dark Lord," he seethed with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Leave us," he heard a voice say behind him. Draco turned his head to find Snape dismissing the others, leaving himself, Draco, and Dumbledore in the room. "I know there is goodness within you, Draco. You have a choice here. We can help you, we can protect you," Dumbledore promised.

"No! You don't understand!" Draco cried out.

"It's not too late, it was never too lat-"

"I have to do it! I have to kill you!" Draco yelled, gripping his wand tighter. _Say the curse_, Draco thought to himself,_ you have to do it_. "And what about her, Draco?" Dumbledore asked. His blood ran cold at his words. He was suddenly reminded of what Dumbledore knew about him. "I don't know what you're talking about," Draco denied.

"Think about her. She wouldn't want you to do this. Let us help you."

"I don't need your help!"

"Then what about her? She needs you right now, Draco."

"You don't know anything about her," he seethed.

"I know you love her, Draco. I can see it in your eyes. You can still be with her, we can offer you protect-"

"Stand aside, Draco," a voice echoed behind him. Draco turned to look at Snape, with a sullen expression. Dumbledore looked at Snape and gave a small nod. "Please," Dumbledore whispered.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Snape shot out at Dumbledore with his wand, the green-lit curse hitting Dumbledore squarely in the chest. He put his hand up to where the spell hit, and with a heavy heart Draco watched as his Headmaster fell off the balcony. "No," Draco whispered and rushed to the balcony to watch gravity push him towards the ground and land with a heavy thud.

"Y-You killed him," Draco mumbled, anger boiling through his veins before he spun around and cried out, "YOU BLOODY BASTARD, WHY'D YOU KILL HIM?!"

"The task had to be fulfilled," Snape said sadly, "Now, hurry. We must go." Snape grabbed Draco firmly by the shoulder and shoved him towards the front of the steps. Draco took one sad last look at the balcony before rushing down the stairs with his Godfather behind him. As they reached the bottom, he saw more Deatheaters than before, attacking students as they tried to flee. Snape shoved him forward again as they hurried towards the exit.

"Go to the gates in the Dark Forest. I will meet you there," Snape ordered.

"Tell me why you killed him," Draco demanded.

"I will as soon as we're safe, now go!" Snape bellowed. Draco staggered forward but pulled into a sprint as he ran for the grounds outside. On the grounds, he looked up in the sky to find a disgustingly black sky and the Dark Mark etched into it. His peers panicked around him as they desperately ran for hiding within the castle.

He continued moving until he reached the edge of the Dark Forest, with a brown dirt path had been made to lead to the gate. Draco turned once more and spotted his own Aunt lighting Hagrid's hut on fire, the flames only adding more grey smoke to the sky.

The place that he once called his home away from home, was in total chaos and it was all because of him. He should've listened. He should have walked away when he had the chance, whenever that may have been, but it was too late now. Hermione was somewhere in the castle, being terrorized by Deatheaters, and it was all his doing.

"Be safe, Hermione," he whispered before turning around and walking away from his own destruction.

* * *

"_Stupefy_!" Hermione yelled, knocking out a Deatheater terrorizing a few first years, "Hurry, go to your common rooms! Go!" The frightened students muttered small 'thanks' and proceeded to their dorms.

Hermione continued turning corners and retrieving students from the halls, until she could suddenly feel the effects of the liquid luck running out. She had taken a small sip of it, along with Ron and made it their mission to protect the students from harm. Hermione ran back towards the Gryiffindor Tower, dodging badly-aimed hexes and curses.

_Oh Draco, please don't tell me this was your doing_, she thought to herself, but to no avail. She knew it was him, it had to be. He warned her of the end and this was it. But regardless of what he may have done, she still loved him, she still believed in him, and she knew he would have to come back. He'd return to her and that that wasn't the last time she will ever see him. Wherever he was at that moment, she desperately hoped he was safe.

* * *

Draco waited anxiously at the large wrought-iron gate for his Godfather. Should I have gone back for him? Maybe he's in trouble, Draco thought to himself. What still boggled his mind was why Snape had ended up killing Dumbledore. He should have been the one to kill him, and now Draco would have to pay the consequences.

Just then, he heard footsteps behind him and spun around to meet a look of dread on Snape's face. It looked like he had just fought a duel, especially with the smeared blood on his chin. Snape continued walking past him and said, "Let's go."

"Wait," Draco commanded, "Tell me why you did it."

"Tonight is not the night for story-telling," Snape mumbled, "Let's move."

"No, I won't unless you tell me!" Draco demanded. Snape stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. Draco's eyes were pleading, while Snape's remained hard and cold. "I'll only tell you if you answer me this," he began, "Who was the girl Dumbledore had mentioned, the one you have become so infatuated with?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Draco spat.

"Just answer the question," the older man ordered. Draco looked down sadly at his feet, refusing to look into the judgmental eyes of his Godfather. "It was Granger," he said with a tone of regret.

"And do you love her?"

"That doesn't matter now, does it?" Draco responded defiantly. Snape stepped back and suddenly became distinct. His eyes were not judgmental, but full of sadness and remorse. "You don't look so surprised," Draco commented.

"I guessed it. I've seen the way you look at her. The mudblo-"

"Don't call her that!" Draco yelled back suddenly, "But what do you care? I've already lost her! None of that matters now" Draco strutted towards the gates and opened them with the flick of his wand.

"_Flipendo_," Snape lashed out. The younger boy was suddenly lifted off his feet and tossed backwards, landing hard on his elbows. "Bloody hell, what was tha-"

"Never think that way," Snape seethed, and restrained Draco to the ground with his wand, "You don't know what loss is truly like."

"Yes, I do!" Draco spat back, "She's never going to forgive me after everything I've done! After everything I have caused! Look around you! It's a bloody battle!"

"But you haven't _lost_ her, have you?" Snape questioned.

Draco looked back incredulously at his Godfather before replying reluctantly, "No, I haven't."

"Then you don't know." Snape pocketed his wand and let Draco stand, dusting off the soot on his clothing. "But why do you care, anyway?" Draco questioned. Snape turned sullenly and replied, "You aren't the only one who has fallen for a mudblood," before dissaparating out of Hogwarts grounds.


	16. Chapter 16

**Song of the Chapter: Sad Beautiful Tragic by Taylor Swift**

Hermione waited patiently on the balcony of the Astronomy Tower the next morning. The night before had been so chaotic, that practically no one bothered to go to class, or any meals of the day. Hermione wasn't planning on taking part in any of it either, but just as she had plenty of times before, she was drawn to the one place where she just might find solace.

When she first got there, she could do nothing but twiddle her thumbs and pretend like none of this would have happened if it weren't for Draco. As she approached the balcony, it reminded her of her times there with him, and just how happy she had been, but seeing all the damage he had caused, it should make her forget about him and everything they had.

But it didn't.

She knew he wasn't the one to kill Dumbledore, but he did however manage to get the other Deatheaters to infiltrate the castle. There were no words to describe her disappointment in him. But how he managed to continue being in her thoughts and part of her heart astounded her beyond belief.

And now that she was here, at the Tower and on the balcony, she found herself waiting.

"He's not coming back, you know?" The sudden voice brought her out of her reverie. She turned to find Harry, still in his clothing from the night before, his wand held firmly in his grip. Hermione had no response as she scanned his face, searching for some sort of sign. The man he had loved like a Father had just died, or in fact was killed by a man they almost trusted. The fact that he was killed in the very same room, it must have been troubling for him just to make it up the stairs.

"Harry, you don't have to be here."

"I wasn't just going to let you stay here alone, especially after all that has happened," Harry had a point, because even Hogwarts wasn't safe anymore, "And I know why you're here. And like I said, he's not coming back."

"How do you know?" she questioned.

"Because even if he is a snarky little git, he's clever, and he's not coming back to a school where they'd just send him to where he truly belongs, in Azkaban." Hermione could not comment back, for she knew it was absolutely true.

"He loves me."

"Has he told you?"

"He didn't have to."

Harry kept his distance from her and the balcony, his silence telling her he was thinking. "Dumbledore's last wish was for me to look for the Horcruxes," Harry started, changing the subject, "And I'm going to do it. No matter how long it will take."

Hermione slowly turned to meet Harry's sad gaze, she walked towards him and held his hand. "We're in this together, you know," Hermione said, "I want to go with you. I can't speak for Ron, but I know he would say the same." Harry nodded, accepting her offer. She silently went back to her empty spot on the balcony, and leaned against the railing.

"How long will you be out here?" he asked.

"I don't know," Hermione breathed out, "As long as it takes, I suppose." For a moment, she thought she heard Harry scoff behind her.

"You'll never accept us, will you?" Hermione asked reluctantly.

"Even if I didn't, that wouldn't stop you." Harry turned away and proceeded out of the Tower, leaving an aura of abnegation behind him.

* * *

"_Crucio_!" The Dark Lord screeched with his wand out. Draco screamed in torture, his back arching off the concrete ground below him, his scream echoing through the dungeon they had put him in. Voldemort had a wicked grin on his face as he watched the young man contort with pain, veins jutting out of his forehead in agony.

Voldemort released the curse for a moment, and Draco took a deep breath before, he yelled again, "_Crucio_!" The pain seemed to double, his life briefly flashing before his eyes before he was once again released from the dreaded curse. "I am a...sensible man, Draco, and for that...I will allow you your life. Never will you defy me again," the Dark Lord hissed before exiting through the dungeon door.

His Mother and Father gave Draco and sympathetic and longing glance before they were ushered away by other Deatheaters. They were his parents, but they were also his followers, which meant if they saved him, they would have been killed as well. Draco learned to understand this, knowing that this would continue the same way for a very long time, even if they never truly accepted it.

The last person to leave gave Draco a much longer look, and in fact stared him thoughtfully through his Deatheater mask. "I suppose you're going to torture me too," Draco mumbled, "Just do it already."

The Deatheater raised his wand from under his cloak slowly. Draco awaited the curse, shutting his eyes under the pressure. Just then, with a sublte flick of his wand, the door shut and locked itself tightly. Draco stared in awe as the Deatheater turned away to mutter several locking and silencing charms on the door before facing the younger man once more. He removed his mask to reveal his Godfather, the man who had defied the Dark Lord's orders just hours before.

"What do you want?!" Draco spat angrily.

"I've come to explain myself," Snape said calmly, "And I don't have much time so I suggest you shut up and listen." Draco closed his mouth and let the man continue. "A long time ago, when I was at Hogwarts, I too fell in love with a muggleborn," Snape explained.

"Don't try to compare me to you," Draco snarled, "I lost her, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"You haven't lost anything, Draco, she is still somewhere out there waiting for you."

"Not after what I did, and certainly not after everything I caused!" Draco yelled. Snape let out a groan of frustration and send a jinx over to him, tossing him against the brick wall. "Hear what I have to say before you speak!" Snape boomed. Draco rubbed his shoulder in pain, and let him continue again.

"I killed your Headmaster, because I knew that if you committed this crime, then you would have lost any chance of being with the one person who can turn your life around! I did it so you didn't have to lose her! Have faith, Draco, because you still have a chance and you haven't lost her yet! Don't make the same mistakes I did! Don't let go, before you know you've truly fallen!"

Draco had never heard his own Godfather talk this way before. Never has he told him to have faith, because he always thought of the man as a Wizard who didn't believe in that.

"I've lost a person that I had loved. She's dead now. And _that_ is what loss is. And I am _not_ going to let you give up on her. Not like this," Snape solemnly swore to Draco without a tone of hinderance. He abruptly tunred around, released his locking and silencing charms, and exited the darkened room.

The door was left open, and instead of walking through it, Draco stayed glued to the floor, barely breathing out of pure awe. It is complete insanity to try to get her back, as if the mere thought could put you in St. Mungo's for life. She was a mudblood, which was everything he was supposed to be against. And yet, with her help and even Snape's, he finally saw that maybe it wasn't entirely out of his reach.

Maybe Hermione was right, maybe he did deserve happiness, and she was his happiness. He saw it himself in the Mirror of Erised, she was his only desire, and maybe he was hers too.

He had to make things right, but how to do it? His only way of escaping Voldemort's wrath was the war ending, and Potter winning. But for how long? How long will he have to live with the doubt that it would never happen? How long would he have to wait to hear news from her? How long will he have to wait not knowing if she was even still alive?

Through the bars of the dungeon cell, embedded in the night sky, was the glorious and luminous full moon. It lit up the sky, revealing the millions of little stars speckled across the endless night. And just within the cluster of stars, was his own constellation. The one Hermione had spotted the many nights ago in their Tower. His grey eyes reflected the iridescent full moon, brightening his pale face, mesmerizing him.

As he gazed into the clustered sky, he could only hope that Hermione was doing the same. And even if he never saw her again, he would always have this, and will always be connected to her this way. And with that in mind, Draco left that dungeon, leaving behind any doubt that their connection would be forgotten. Because the memories he had?

That would _always_ keep him going.

* * *

"I'll find you, Draco," Hermione gently whispered to the night sky, where she saw his celestial symbol, drawn delicately into the night. Despite all that has happened, she found that looking at that constellation she finally had something truly worth fighting for. And with the war that was about to start?

Well, everyone needs their motivation.

She hadn't told anyone this, but she believed that lost things had a way of finding there way back again. And the ones that you love most of all, those would come back sooner than you think.

And as she walked the long path back to the castle, from the Black Lake, it never occurred to her that many miles away, Draco would be doing the same thing. Smiling to himself at the thought of seeing his significant other once again, because no matter how sad and tragic their relationship had turned out to be, it was utterly beautiful. And this? Well...

This was just the beginning.

**A/N: As you may have guessed it, there is a sequel. Keep an eye out for The Volition: Part 2. And no matter what you think, this story won't be as simple as it seems. Like I said...**

**It's only the beginning. ;-)**


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